The Wise Report
Henry M. Wise, P.G.
August 17, 2014
As has been previously reported in The Wise Report, the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) is conducting its four-year rule review. Proposed revisions to TBPG rules in Chapter 850 and Chapter 851 were published in the July 4, 2014 issue of the Texas Register and are available at http://tbpg.state.tx.us/board/rules/rule-review/ for your review. Please note: The public comment period for the proposed rules has been extended through October 2, 2014.
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At its open meeting on August 12, 2014, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) proposed amendments to §§3.9 and 3.46 regarding requirements relating to seismic events for disposal wells. The proposed rule amendments will require additional permit application information such as logs, geologic cross-sections, and/or structure maps, for an injection well in an area where conditions exist that may increase the risk that fluids will not be confined to the injection interval. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to, complex geology, proximity of the baserock to the injection interval, transmissive faults, and/or a history of seismic events in the area as demonstrated by information available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The RRC also proposes these amendments to clarify that it has the authority to modify, suspend, or terminate a permit if fluids are not confined to the injection interval. The proposed amendments will be published in the August 29, 2014, issue of the Texas Register, and the comment period ends at noon on Monday, September 29, 2014. For more information on this and other rulemakings, or to access the online comment form for any proposed rulemakings, please see the Proposed Rules table at this link:
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/legal/rules/proposed-rules/
Henry M. Wise, P.G.
The Wise Report
8/17/2014