OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
**AUSTIN**



## Mr. L. 1.Qeren county

Attorney **tlneetene Deunty**  **iheae*lt,** **TMa8**

**Bear slrr** 

e very able **brief** 8been

ofl *al8tanIe

etter **a,0** fellowt

n ‘the oolinty **oourt** er

5,Tt aha bo wJlawrul for any paWSOB, r1riE or oorporation,private or mranicijsal to pollute eny mtter course or other publla body orwater, by throwIn& rpaetin~~or d4porfting, or oanoiag to be thrown, east or depealted any 0rud8 pstmlsne, oil OT other like subatanao timrein, or to pollute **any** water course, or other publls bo&yMr. L. L. Gervn,Maroh 90, 1959, **Pago g** 

of **water,** from ahloh vatar is taken for the we of farm live stook,drlnklng and domartia purposes, in tha State of Tsxaa, by the dlscharge,dlrsotly or lndiraotly,of any rswaga or unolaanwater or **unolean** Or pollutingmatter 

### or thing therein 

### or in auohproximity thereto as thrrtit vi11 probably raaoh and pollute the water of suoh

### water course or otherpub110 body of

### water iron whioh **water** is taken, ror the umsm~ of farm live #took, **drinking** and domsstiapurpoaaa; provided,hoverer, that the proririonr of this bill shall notaffsot any nuntoipal oorporatlon altuated on tideraters; that i# to gay, uhars the **tid.** abbs snd ?las in SUO~water 6OIWasi prsvlded, h&waver, that **no ofty**  **looatod on,** tidawater 8hall dlsaharga or permit to bs disohargod #everago,oil or any other sfflusnts into **pub** 110 tlds vaterm of thfr Pltate when euoh**die** ohargswill bsooms a mena to or andangsrs the oyoter bads or Ziah life ia suohuater8, or whsa suoh disaharga beoamu a msnaoa to the bathingplaoed in 8uahwatara; 

### and pro

### vided further that **drain** ditahas, vherswarts 011 find8 itsway intowater dour808 or publla bodies of vater, ohall **bo** @quipped 81th trap8 of sufriolsntoapaoitr to armat ths flew of Oil. In 80 Snr a8 oonoarnn the pr0teotlon of fish and oysty, the Mama, Fllrh and Oyster ColamisPioner

, or his **deputies,** may hato jurirdiotion in the sixforosmant of this ehaptor. A violation of any of the prmlalons of thl# ohaptsr shall bs punished by a fins of not less than ens hundred dollars and notmore than one thousand dollara. When ths offsnsa shsllhave been aommltted **by** a~firm,partnsrship or aasooiation, eaoh mombar thereofwho has knowlsdgs of the QOfAViS8iOnOf auoh Offense, shall be hold guilty, When,**omitted** by a private oorporatloa, tha offioers aad **members**

**of** the bcnrd of dirsstora,having knowledge of the oozem~rrfon of such orfmnaa, shsll each ba deemed guilty; aad vhen by a munialpal oorporatlonthe mayor and sash **awnbar**Mr. L. L. Germ, Karoh 30, 19X7, Page S

ol ttm boerd of aldermen or co:mis8fon,having knowledge of the ocmmleelon of euch offense, as the casemay be, shall be held guilty as rspraeentativesof themunloipality; and aaoh person do indioateda8 **above** shall **be** subjeot to the punie!wmnt provided herelnbefore;provided, however, that the payment of the fine by one of the persons so named ahallbe n aetisfaotion of the penalty aa against his assooiat6a for the orfanse forwhioh ho may hove been oonvfoted. Eaoh day auohpollution is knonlngly oaussd or permitted shall oonstltute a separate offense;provided, the grorlsions of this **artl** ale ehall not apply to any plaae or pramisss of sanufecturfngplantswhose afilaente aontain
no organiomatter that will putrify, or any poisonous oompounds, or any baoterla dangerour to publfo health or deatruotlve of the ?ish life **of streams**  **or** other pub110 bodies of water. L-Offlus :t Cam, Fish and Oyster Cornmiesionor was aboliehed and powera, duties and ?uno!lons transferred to Game, Fish and Oyster Ccmml8a~loa. se. Art101e 978?, post.'
Arttole 949 of tho aode of Criminal Proasdure providers:

honey oolleatedby an officer upon reoognissanoea,

bail bond8 and other obligatiooa rsoovared upon **in** the **noms**o? the State under **any**provi8ion a? this Code, **and**all tinea, forieltures, **judgment6**and jury feef~, collcoted under any provision o? thfs Sods, shall forthwithba, paid over by the ofiioers oolleoting the name **to** the oounty **treasurer** of the proper Bounty, arter first deduoting therefrom the ls$al fee8 and ooamissfons ?or collecting the same.*
Article 912 o? the Panel Code made! a8 follorst

*It shall be the duty of any juatioaOf the pesos, olerk of any oourt, or any other of-ricer of thisState, **r6osiring** any 

### rins orBBr. L. L. Germ, Maruh 30, 1939, Page 4

penalty imposedby any oourt for violation of nny of the laws of this State, pertainin? tc the protectl~a and conservationof wild birds,wild fowl,wild animals, fish, oysters, and other wild life, within ten days from and after thr;reaelptor oolleotlon of suohilno
or penalty, to remit **same**to the Gome, Piah
ana Oyster Commiseionat huetin, givinfl aooket number af oasc,name of person flr,ed, and section or erticle of the law under whioh oonvlotlon was scoured,when suoh laws are required to be enfo>-ted

by the Game, Fish ant,Oyeter Comlission."
Artiole 4085,Retieed Civil Statutes, real8 *a iollws:

*Of all finss oolleated for infraotlon of the fish and oyster law8, ten per oent shall go to the proseouting attorney, and the residue thereof ehall go to the general fund of this State. All funds aolleated by **deputy** aosuaisslonsro along the ooast for register aertlfio*tee, 11oen8e8, and rents for Locatingprivate oyster beda, and such other chargesrelating to the fish and oyster laws as may be presoribed, shall be by suah deputies paid overweekly to the Covmissloner, who Inturn ahall deposit the samemonthly in the state Treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.*

A oopy of the original informatiouwhioh la attached to your inquiry contains three counts, all baaed upon various portions of krtiole 698 of the Penal zoae. The first **oount aharges**  generally the pewtion of the 3avasota Eliver by aesting, etc., pollutingmatters therein. The seoond oount chargea
a pollution of the Savasota River and further alleger that 8ome river weter was then and there taken for the **use** of farm live etock and for drinking and domeetlo purposes and the thtmd oount ahergee the failure of defendant to equip end maintain his drain ditoheswith proper traps. There is no allegation in the information that the alleged pollutionwas harmful to aquatio life
or marine organisms. \Ve do not find any allegatlonwhlohMr. L. L. Ceren,Maroh,SO, 1939, Page S

we oan oonstrue as an infraation of the Game and Oyster Laws or any OS the laws of this state pertaining to the protection and conservationOS wild birda,wild fowl, wild animals, fish, oysters anG otherwild life.

:rethink that the provisions of’ Artiole 698, Fenal Code, tyiving to the Came, Fish ana Oyster Commission juriadlotlonin the enioroement of this chapter insofar
ae it oonoerns the proteation oS Sleh and oysters,by inference,denies to that department juriedlotlonin the enlorcsment of that ohapter ineofar as it does not oonoern the protection OS fish and oysters.

krtiale 949, Code of CriminalProaedum, l p ra, la the general law laid down by the Legislatureoorering the dispoeltion OS Sines oolleotsdby an oifloerand should be followed in the absuuos of any statutespertlnent to the proseaution &n question. Wo have been uuablo to find any statutesunderwhioh the Commission ismaking Its olaim for 90$ of the Sines now in your **oustody.** We oonalude that euch claim la based upon Artiole 4025, Revised Civil Statutes of Texae, Artlole 9s-t of the Penal Code and Artiale 698a of the Penal Code.

Artiole 698e ot the Penal Code provldee for the remission OS fines aolleoted thereunder to the Commission. This Article is separateand distinot from Artiole 699 of the Penal Code and differsmaterially therefrom in the orlminal acts it **seeks**to prohibit. We are of the oginion that the provisions inArt.1019098a providing for the remission oSfines Lmpoaed for vlolatione of that act to the Game,Pish and Oyster Comalsaionhas no applloation to Si!leaimposed for violations of Artiole 698 OS the Penal Code.

Aftor an examination of Artiale 698 of the Penal Code,we find that t3ia statute sets forth and deSims severaldifferent criminal offenses and find only one provisionwhioh oan be oonetrued as a fish and oyeter law or provision pertaining to the proteotlon and oonaerveticn o:f wild birda,wild fowl, wild ahiaals, fish, oysters and other wild life. Thut provision is:

"Thatno oity located on the tidewaterEr. I..L. Germ, ?Aareh30, 1939, Page 6

shalldischarge or permit to be disoharged sewerage,oil or any other effluents Into pub110 tidewater8 of this Stats when suah dischargewill become a menaoe to or on&anpars the otster beds or fish life in suoh waters....C
The infomatlon does not expressly or by In**ference** charge e vlolatfon of the above quoted provi81cr.* :
ln view of the foregoing statutes,you are respeotfullyadvised that it la the opinion of this Department thatmoney oolleeted **as fines**  &a' oaaea proaeouted under krtiole 698 of the Penal Cede shouldbe depositedwith the County Treaeurer In the county *hera auohoaaea are tried after deduotlon of the legal faa8 and ooncnIesIons

ellowad foroolleoting the aama

### and that the &me, Fish and Oyster ComsAesIon Is not antltled to sny part of suoh fines exoept in aasea when there Is a viol&Ion of the Wee and Fish Lawe and the oomplaint and fnformatlon ia filed oharglng auoh riolati one. Trusting that the for*gofne answera 

### your inquiry,we relaaln
Very truly youre

BJw/G2i..IA Ardell "illfans hsel.atant