The Wise Report

The Wise Report

Henry M. Wise, P.G.

March 1, 2008

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announces a 45-day public comment period for the draft document titled, U.S. Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.1: “Coastal elevation and sensitivity to sea level rise.” Comments must be received by April 10, 2008.
The document is posted on the CCSP Web site at: www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-1/default.php  [Federal Register: February 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 37)]
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From the Chapman Engineering Newsletter:
Based on both the federal Energy Bill of 2005 and on Texas Legislature actions in the 2007 session, the 30 TAC Chapter 334 rules are being revised in a number of ways.  The major points are:

• PST Reimbursement Fund has been extended for four years, and the tank registration fee for both UST’s and AST’s is repealed until the Reimbursement Fund finally sunsets;
• The PST Reimbursement Fund may now be used by TCEQ for some administrative costs – the agency wanted this for years, and finally got it;
• Cathodic protection testing will have to be done by NACE-certified technicians, technologists or cathodic protection specialists, or by licensed professional engineers – rules have allowed someone with “equivalent training or experience” to do testing in the past, but this will no longer be allowed;
• Due to federal law, any new tank installation will require double-walled tanks and double-walled piping; any line replacement, of more than ten percent of line length, will require double-walled piping.  A liner in base of excavation as the secondary containment is not allowed – it has to have double-walled equipment;
• For new installations or line and dispenser replacements, containment sumps must be installed around sub pumps and under dispensers.  If these serve as leak detection devices, then it may be required that liquid sensors be installed and maintained, and when a liquid thickness is detected, sump cleanout is required along with finding and fixing the leak;
• Operator training is phasing in over the next three years.  TPCA and PEI are good resources for these training requirements and on-line courses are becoming available.

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The TCEQ has proposed amendments to implement Senate Bill (SB) 662, 80th Texas Legislature, 2007, requiring certain plat applicants to transmit to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and any applicable groundwater conservation district (GCD) information that would be useful in performing GCD activities, conducting regional water planning, maintaining the TWDB's groundwater database, or conducting state studies on groundwater. Under Local Government Code, §212.0101 and §232.0032, a municipal authority responsible for approving plats by ordinance or the commissioner's court of a county by order (respectively) may require a person who submits a plat application for the subdivision of a tract of land for which the source of the water supply intended for the subdivision is groundwater under that land, to have attached to it a statement that is prepared by an engineer licensed to practice in this state or a geoscientist licensed to practice in this state and certifies that adequate groundwater is available for the subdivision. For more information go to:  http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/sos/PROPOSED/30.ENVIRONMENTAL%20QUALITY.html#350

Hemry M. Wise, P.G.

The Wise Report

3/1/2008