At the Capitol, bills are moving into committees in both the House and Senate, including numerous bills that will affect Hays County.
Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) filed numerous bills relating to natural gas pipeline construction in response to Kinder Morgan’s proposed route for its Permian Highway Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline that would cut through the Hill Country near Wimberley. House Bill 2277, which would require the Texas Railroad Commission to conduct an environmental impact study before a pipeline can be built, was referred to the Energy Resources Committee on March 6. HB 3326, which would let municipalities require that an intrastate pipeline be buried to a certain depth, was referred to Energy Resources on March 18.
Zwiener’s HB 3324 and 3320, both of which involve contingency plans for energy infrastructure, were referred to the House Natural Resources Committee on March 18. HB 3324 would require pipeline operators to submit site-specific contingency plans. HB 3320 would allow the Texas Environmental Quality Commission to require water pollution abatement plans from operators of energy infrastructure including oil and gas facilities.
