Marked Agenda
Commissioners' Work Session
Thursday, January 22, 1998
1:30 p.m.
Room 201S, Building E, Park 35, Austin

NEW BUSINESS

This meeting is a work session for discussion between commissioners and staff. No public testimony or comment will be accepted except by invitation of the commission.

  1. Discussion of an agency report on enforcement actions for various media including agriculture, air, industrial and hazardous waste, municipal solid waste, occupational certification, petroleum storage tanks, public water supply, water quality, and multi-media. Anne Dobbs (Enforcement Division) presented this item. No action taken.

  2. Consideration of issues related to regionalization of water and wastewater facilities. No action was taken. This issue was continued for consideration at the February 5 work session.

  3. Consideration of issues related to Texas’ assumption of the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program and related issues. Ken Petersen (Deputy Director, Office of Water Resource Management); Joe Vogel (Deputy Director, Office of Enforcement and Compliance; Ann McGinley (Director, Enforcement Division); Tom Weber (Wastewater Permits); and Margaret Hoffman (Legal) presented this item. The commission directed staff to resolve issues with EPA and submit the application by January 30. The commission also directed staff to prepare a letter to the Governor for Commissioner Marquez’s signature requesting approval of the NPDES application.

  4. Consideration of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s promulgation of revised national ambient air quality standards, implementation of these and the prior national ambient air quality standards, and related issues. No action taken.

  5. Consideration of the agency's implementation of legislation enacted by the 75th Texas Legislature including House Bill 1, Rider 167, rules review and the agency's efforts to work with the Interim Legislative Committees. The commission may also meet in closed meeting to receive legal advice regarding these matters as authorized by Section 551.071 of the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Government Code. Any commission action, decision, or vote on these matters will be made in open meeting in accordance with Section 551.102 of the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Government Code. Brian Christian (Policy Research Division) and Sharon Smith (Legal) presented this item. Staff will develop a schedule and work with deputy directors to develop the rules’ review plan and bring back to a work session in mid to late March for approval to submit the plan to the Governor, Legislative Budget Board, and Texas Register.

  6. Planning for the next Commissioners’ Work Session. The next Commissioners’ Work Session is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 1998, in E-201S, at 2:00 p.m. It will include the following issues: regionalization (implementation of Senate Bill 1), Clean Cities List, consideration for publication of the attainment demonstration SIP for the Houston/Galveston area, the implementation of national ambient air quality standards, the agency's implementation of legislation enacted by the 75th Texas Legislature, and the agency's efforts to work with the Interim Legislative Committees