Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 1 - RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS › Chapter 4 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Subchapter F - OIL AND GAS NORM › Section 4.620 - Permit for Surface Disposal

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
				  Applicability. Except in the case of onsite disposal that meets the
				  requirements of §
										RSA
				  4.614<subdiv>(c) and (d)</subdiv>
				  of this title (relating to Authorized Disposal Methods), no person may dispose
				  of oil and gas NORM waste by burying it or by applying it to and mixing it with
				  the land surface without first obtaining a permit under §
										RSA
				  3.8 of this title (relating to Water
				  Protection). The provisions of this section apply in the case of permits for
				  such surface or near-surface disposal methods.
(b) Standards for permit issuance. The
				  Commission shall issue a permit to dispose of oil and gas NORM waste under
				  §
										RSA
				  3.8 of this title only if the Commission
				  determines that the subject oil and gas NORM waste will be disposed of in a
				  manner that protects public health, safety, and the environment. Any permit to
				  dispose of oil and gas NORM waste issued pursuant to §
										RSA
				  3.8 of this title shall contain construction
				  and operating requirements that are reasonably necessary to protect public
				  health, safety, and the environment. In addition, the Commission shall issue a
				  permit for burial of oil and gas NORM waste only if, prior to burial, the oil
				  and gas NORM waste has been treated or processed so that the radioactivity
				  concentration does not exceed 30 pCi/g Radium-226 combined with Radium-228 or
				  150 pCi/g of any other NORM radionuclide. The Commission shall issue a permit
				  to dispose of oil and gas NORM waste by applying it to and mixing it with the
				  land surface only if, after such application and mixing, the radioactivity
				  concentration in the area where the oil and gas NORM waste was applied and
				  mixed will not exceed 30 pCi/g Radium-226 combined with Radium-228 or 150 pCi/g
				  of any other NORM radionuclide.
(c)
				  NORM information. In addition to the application requirements of §
										RSA
				  3.8 of this title, an applicant for surface
				  or near-surface disposal of oil and gas NORM waste shall include the
				  information specified in this paragraph. The Commission may require the
				  applicant to provide any such additional information as may be necessary to
				  show that the proposed disposal will protect public health, safety, and the
				  environment.
(1) The applicant shall describe
				  the physical nature (such as pipe scale, contaminated soil, basic sediment) of
				  the oil and gas NORM waste to be disposed of.
(2) The applicant shall state the total
				  volume of oil and gas NORM waste to be disposed of or the proposed rate of oil
				  and gas NORM waste disposal.
(3) If
				  the oil and gas NORM waste has been treated or processed to reduce the
				  radioactivity concentration under a specific license issued by the TDH, the
				  applicant shall state the maximum measured radioactivity level (in pCi/g of
				  Radium-226 combined with Radium-228 for soil or other media such as pipe scale,
				  contaminated soil, basic sediment, etc.). If the oil and gas NORM waste will be
				  treated or processed at the disposal site to reduce the radioactivity
				  concentration, the applicant shall state the maximum measured radioactivity
				  level (in pCi/g of Radium-226 combined with Radium-228, and any other NORM
				  radionuclide, for soil or other media such as pipe scale, contaminated soil,
				  basic sediment, etc.).
(4) The
				  applicant shall include the background radioactivity concentration (in pCi/g of
				  Radium-226 combined with Radium-228) of the disposal area.
(5) The applicant shall describe all methods
				  to be used to control dust from the oil and gas NORM waste during
				  disposal.
(6) The applicant shall
				  include written authorization from the surface owner, if different from the
				  applicant, for disposal of oil and gas NORM waste on the surface owner's
				  property.