Tex. Nat. Res. Code § 117.012

Current with legislation from the 2023 Regular and Special Sessions signed by the Governor as of November 21, 2023.

Section 117.012 - Rules and Standards

(a) The commission shall adopt rules that include:

(1) safety standards applicable to the intrastate transportation of hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide by pipeline and intrastate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facilities; and

(2) safety standards related to the prevention of damage to interstate and intrastate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facilities resulting from the movement of earth by a person in the vicinity of such a facility, other than movement by tillage that does not exceed a depth of 16 inches.

(a-1) Rules adopted under Subsection (a) that apply to the intrastate transportation of hazardous liquids and carbon dioxide by gathering pipelines in rural locations and intrastate hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide gathering pipeline facilities in rural locations must be based only on the risks the transportation and the facilities present to the public safety, except that the commission shall revise the rules as necessary to comply with Subsection (c) and to maintain the maximum degree of federal delegation permissible under 49 U.S.C. Section 60101 et seq., or a succeeding law, if the federal government adopts rules that include safety standards applicable to the transportation and facilities.

(b) Rules that adopt safety standards do not apply to production, refining, or manufacturing facilities or storage or in-plant piping systems associated with any of those facilities.

(c) The safety standards adopted by the commission in its rules must be compatible with those standards established by the United States secretary of transportation under 49 U.S.C. Section 60101 et seq. and its subsequent amendments or a succeeding law.

(d) The commission may adopt rules that require a hazardous liquid pipeline facility to prepare and submit for commission approval a facility response plan for all or any part of a hazardous liquid pipeline facility located landward of the coast. Rules shall require the facility response plan to include plans for responding, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge and to a substantial threat of such a discharge of hazardous liquids that could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging into navigable waters.

(e) Rules relating to facility response plans shall be consistent with the provisions of the federal Water Pollution Prevention and Control Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1321(j)(5). Rules shall provide that, in lieu of submitting a plan for approval under Subsection (a), a facility may submit a facility response plan prepared in compliance with the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Act, 33 U.S.C. Section 1321(j)(5). A plan approved or pending approval by the United States Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety shall be deemed approved by the commission for the purposes of this section.

(f) Rules relating to facility response plans do not apply to a hazardous liquid pipeline facility that is required to implement a discharge prevention and response plan under the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1991, Chapter 40, Natural Resources Code.

(g) The commission shall adopt rules regarding:

(1) public education and awareness concerning hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facilities; and

(2) community liaison for the purpose of responding to an emergency concerning a hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facility.

(h) The commission shall require operators of hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide pipeline facilities or the designated representatives of such operators to communicate and conduct liaison activities with fire, police, and other appropriate public emergency response officials. The liaison activities must be conducted by meetings in person except as provided by this section. An operator or the operator's representative may conduct required community liaison activities as provided by Subsection (i) only if the operator or the operator's representative has made an effort, by one of the following methods, to conduct a community liaison meeting in person with the officials:

(1) mailing a written request for a meeting in person to the appropriate officials by certified mail, return receipt requested;

(2) sending a request for a meeting in person to the appropriate officials by facsimile transmission; or

(3) making one or more telephone calls or e-mail message transmissions to the appropriate officials to request a meeting in person.

(i) If the operator or operator's representative cannot arrange a meeting in person after complying with Subsection (h), the operator or the operator's representative shall conduct community liaison activities by one of the following methods:

(1) holding a telephone conference with the appropriate officials; or

(2) delivering the community liaison information required to be conveyed by certified mail, return receipt requested.

(j) Expired.

(k) The commission by rule shall require the owner or operator of each intrastate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline facility any part of which is located within 1,000 feet of a public school building containing classrooms, or within 1,000 feet of another public school facility where students congregate, to:

(1) on written request from the school district, provide in writing the following parts of a pipeline emergency response plan that are relevant to the school:

(A) a description and map of the pipeline facilities that are within 1,000 feet of the school building or facility;

(B) a list of any product transported in the segment of the pipeline that is within 1,000 feet of the school facility;

(C) the designated emergency number for the pipeline facility operator;

(D) information on the state's excavation one-call system; and

(E) information on how to recognize, report, and respond to a product release; and

(2) mail a copy of the requested items by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the superintendent of the school district in which the school building or facility is located.

(l) A pipeline operator or the operator's representative shall appear at a regularly scheduled meeting of the school board to explain the items listed in Subsection (k) if requested by the school board or school district.

(m) The commission may not require the release of parts of an emergency response plan that include security sensitive information including maps or data. Security sensitive information shall be made available for review by but not provided to the school board.

(n) In this subsection, "telecommunications service" and "information service" have the meanings assigned by 47 U.S.C. Section 153. Notwithstanding Subsection (a), this title does not grant the commission jurisdiction or right-of-way management authority over a provider of telecommunications service or information service. A provider of telecommunications service or information service shall comply with all applicable safety standards, including those provided by Subchapter H, Chapter 756, Health and Safety Code.

(o) The power granted by Subsection (a) does not apply to:

(1) surface mining operations; or

(2) other entities or occupations if the commission determines in its rulemaking process that exempting those entities or occupations from rules adopted under that subsection:

(A) is in the public interest; or

(B) is not likely to cause harm to the safety and welfare of the public.

Tex. Nat. Res. Code § 117.012

Amended by Acts 2017, Texas Acts of the 85th Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 57,Sec. 7, eff. 9/1/2017.

Amended by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 1177,Sec. 5, eff. 9/1/2013.

Amended by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 1045,Sec. 2, eff. 9/1/2013.

Amended By Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 91, Sec. 17.003, eff. 9/1/2011.

Amended By Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1197, Sec. 2, eff. 9/1/2009.

Amended By Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 267, Sec. 6, eff. 9/1/2005.

Amended By Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1082, Sec. 1, eff. 6/20/2003.

Amended By Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1233, Sec. 61, eff. 9/1/2001

Amended By Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 951, Sec. 2, eff. 6/18/1997

Amended By Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 616, Sec. 1, eff. 8/28/1995

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 28, Sec. 4, eff. 9/1/1993

Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4914, ch. 873, Sec. 1, eff. 8/29/1983.