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TITLE 16ECONOMIC REGULATION
PART 1RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS
CHAPTER 3OIL AND GAS DIVISION
RULE §3.30Memorandum of Understanding between the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

    (D) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) - (C) of this paragraph, the RRC has jurisdiction over disposal of oil and gas wastes, such as waste drilling fluids and NORM-contaminated pipe scale, in volumes greater than the incidental volumes usually received at such facilities, that are managed at commercial service company facilities.

    (E) The RRC also has jurisdiction over wastes such as vacuum truck rinsate and tank rinsate generated at facilities operated by oil and gas waste haulers permitted by the RRC pursuant to §3.8(f) of this title (relating to Water Protection).

  (12) Mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs). MODUs are vessels capable of engaging in drilling operations for exploring or exploiting subsea oil, gas, or mineral resources.

    (A) The RRC and, where applicable, the EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, or the Texas General Land Office (GLO), have jurisdiction over discharges from an MODU when the unit is being used in connection with activities associated with the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas or geothermal resources, except that upon delegation to the TCEQ of NPDES authority for discharges into surface water in the state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from the activities described in Texas Water Code, §26.131(a), the TCEQ shall assume RRC's authority under this subsection.

    (B) The TCEQ and, where applicable, the EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, or the GLO, have jurisdiction over discharges from an MODU when the unit is being serviced at a maintenance facility.

    (C) Where applicable, the EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, or the GLO has jurisdiction over discharges from an MODU during transportation from shore to exploration, development or production site, transportation between sites, and transportation to a maintenance facility.

(e) Interagency activities.

  (1) Recycling and pollution prevention.

    (A) The TCEQ and the RRC encourage generators to eliminate pollution at the source and recycle whenever possible to avoid disposal of wastes. Questions regarding source reduction and recycling may be directed to the TCEQ External Relations Division, or to the RRC. The TCEQ may require generators to explore source reduction and recycling alternatives prior to authorizing disposal of any waste under the jurisdiction of the RRC at a facility regulated by the TCEQ; similarly, the RRC may explore source reduction and recycling alternatives prior to authorizing disposal of any waste under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ at a facility regulated by the RRC.

    (B) The TCEQ External Relations Division and the RRC will coordinate as necessary to maintain a working relationship to enhance the efforts to share information and use resources more efficiently. The TCEQ External Relations Division will make the proper TCEQ personnel aware of the services offered by the RRC, share information with the RRC to maximize services to oil and gas operators, and advise oil and gas operators of RRC services. The RRC will make the proper RRC personnel aware of the services offered by the TCEQ External Relations Division, share information with the TCEQ External Relations Division to maximize services to industrial operators, and advise industrial operators of the TCEQ External Relations Division services.

  (2) Treatment of wastes under RRC jurisdiction at facilities authorized by the TCEQ under 30 TAC Chapter 334, Subchapter K, (relating to Storage, Treatment, and Reuse Procedures for Petroleum-Substance Contaminated Soil).

    (A) Soils contaminated with constituents that are physically and chemically similar to those normally found in soils at leaking underground petroleum storage tanks from generators under the jurisdiction of the RRC are eligible for treatment at TCEQ regulated soil treatment facilities once alternatives for recycling and source reduction have been explored. For the purpose of this provision, soils containing petroleum substance(s) as defined in 30 TAC §334.481 (relating to Definitions) are considered to be similar, but drilling muds, acids, or other chemicals used in oil and gas activities are not considered similar. Generators under the jurisdiction of the RRC must meet the same requirements as generators under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ when sending their petroleum contaminated soils to soil treatment facilities under TCEQ jurisdiction. Those requirements are in 30 TAC §334.496 (relating to Shipping Procedures Applicable to Generators of Petroleum-Substance Waste), except subsection (c) which is not applicable, and 30 TAC §334.497 (relating to Recordkeeping and Reporting Procedures Applicable to Generators). RRC generators with questions on these requirements should contact the TCEQ.

    (B) Generators under RRC jurisdiction should also be aware that TCEQ regulated soil treatment facilities are required by 30 TAC §334.499 (relating to Shipping Requirements Applicable to Owners or Operators of Storage, Treatment, or Disposal Facilities) to maintain documentation on the soil sampling and analytical methods, chain-of-custody, and all analytical results for the soil received at the facility and transported off-site or reused on-site.

    (C) The RRC must specifically authorize management of contaminated soils under its jurisdiction at facilities authorized by the TCEQ under 30 TAC Chapter 334, Subchapter K. The RRC may grant such authorizations by rule, or on an individual basis through permits or other written authorizations.

    (D) All waste, including treated waste, subject to the jurisdiction of the RRC and managed at facilities authorized by the TCEQ under 30 TAC Chapter 334, Subchapter K will remain subject to the jurisdiction of the RRC. Such materials will be subject to RRC regulations regarding final reuse, recycling, or disposal.

    (E) TCEQ waste codes and registration numbers are not required for management of wastes under the jurisdiction of the RRC at facilities authorized by the TCEQ under 30 TAC Chapter 334, Subchapter K.

  (3) Processing, treatment, and disposal of wastes under RRC jurisdiction at facilities authorized by the TCEQ.

    (A) As provided in this paragraph, waste materials subject to the jurisdiction of the RRC may be managed at solid waste facilities under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ once alternatives for recycling and source reduction have been explored. The RRC must specifically authorize management of wastes under its jurisdiction at facilities regulated by the TCEQ. The RRC may grant such authorizations by rule, or on an individual basis through permits or other written authorizations. In addition, except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the concurrence of the TCEQ is required to manage "special waste" under the jurisdiction of the RRC at a facility regulated by the TCEQ. The TCEQ's concurrence may be subject to specified conditions.

    (B) A facility under the jurisdiction of the TCEQ may accept, without further individual concurrence, waste under the jurisdiction of the RRC if that facility is permitted or otherwise authorized to accept that particular type of waste. The phrase "that type of waste" does not specifically refer to waste under the jurisdiction of the RRC, but rather to the waste's physical and chemical characteristics. Management and disposal of waste under the jurisdiction of the RRC is subject to TCEQ's rules governing both special waste and industrial waste.

    (C) If the TCEQ regulated facility receiving the waste does not have approval to accept the waste included in its permit or other authorization, individual written concurrences from the TCEQ shall be required to manage wastes under the jurisdiction of the RRC at TCEQ regulated facilities. Recommendations for the management of special wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or geothermal resources are found in TCEQ Regulatory Guidance document RG-3. (This is required only if the TCEQ regulated facility receiving the waste does not have approval to accept the waste included in its permit or other authorization provided by the TCEQ.) To obtain an individual concurrence, the waste generator must provide to the TCEQ sufficient information to allow the concurrence determination to be made, including the identity of the proposed waste management facility, the process generating the waste, the quantity of waste, and the physical and chemical nature of the waste involved (using process knowledge and/or laboratory analysis as defined in 30 TAC Chapter 335, Subchapter R (relating to Waste Classification)). In obtaining TCEQ approval, generators may use their existing knowledge about the process or materials entering it to characterize their wastes. Material Safety Data Sheets, manufacturer's literature, and other documentation generated in conjunction with a particular process may be used. Process knowledge must be documented and submitted with the request for approval.

Cont'd...

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