Bill > SB3017

This bill directs the Railroad Commission of Texas to establish comprehensive regulations for reserve pits and mud circulation pits used in oil and gas drilling operations. Specifically, the bill defines these pits as areas used for storing drilling fluids, collecting spent materials like cuttings and wash water, and potentially burying oil and gas waste. The Commission must develop rules covering minimum siting standards, technical and construction requirements, financial bonding standards, groundwater monitoring protocols, and landowner notification procedures. The regulations must be consistent with existing standards for produced water recycling pits. Additionally, operators will be required to submit a written notice to the county clerk within 30 days of closing a pit that has been used for permanent waste burial, including details about the pit's location, type, and volume of waste. The county clerk must then record this notice in the public records at no charge. These new regulations aim to improve environmental protection and transparency in oil and gas waste management. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB3017