CHAPTER 52. TEXAS DEEPWATER PORT PROCEDURES ACT
TRANSPORTATION CODE
TITLE 4. NAVIGATION
SUBTITLE A. WATERWAYS AND PORTS
CHAPTER 52. TEXAS DEEPWATER PORT PROCEDURES ACT
Sec. 52.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the
Texas Deepwater Port Procedures Act.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Adjacent coastal county" means a county bordering the Gulf
of Mexico that has an onshore storage facility for a deepwater
port for which an application has been filed.
(2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the General Land
Office or the commissioner's designated representative.
(3) "Deepwater port" means a facility defined in Section 3(10),
Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1502(10)), and
includes an onshore storage tank facility and the pipelines
located in this state that connect the onshore storage tank
facility with an offshore facility of a deepwater port.
(4) "Person" means an individual, association, organization,
trust, partnership, or corporation.
(5) "Secretary" means the United States secretary of
transportation.
(6) "State or local agency" means a board, commission,
department, office, agency, or political subdivision of the state
or of a county or municipality, or another public body created by
or under state law.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.003. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. (a) The governor shall
approve or disapprove an application made to the secretary under
the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) to own,
construct, or operate a deepwater port off the Texas Gulf Coast.
(b) The commissioner shall administer, implement, and coordinate
the provisions of this chapter regarding a determination by state
and local agencies of the application's compliance with state and
local laws regarding environmental protection, land and water
use, and coastal zone management.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.004. APPLICATION: GOVERNOR'S DUTIES. (a) On receipt of
a copy of an application from the secretary, the governor shall
immediately send a copy to the attorney general and the
commissioner.
(b) If the governor determines that the application is
substantially similar to an application previously reviewed under
this chapter, the governor may approve or disapprove the
application without further action under this chapter and notify
the secretary of the action taken.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.005. APPLICATION TO BE FILED; FEE FOR DUPLICATION AND
MAILING. (a) A copy of the application shall be filed in the
General Land Office and in the office of the county judge of the
adjacent coastal county.
(b) The public may inspect or duplicate the application during
normal business hours. A reasonable fee may be charged for
duplicating and mailing the application.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.006. DUTIES OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND COMMISSIONER; FEE
FOR DUPLICATION AND MAILING. (a) Not later than the 30th day
after the date of receiving a copy of the application from the
governor, the attorney general shall send the governor and the
commissioner a list of each state or local agency that the
attorney general determines has jurisdiction to administer laws
regarding environmental protection, land and water use, and
coastal zone management in the area in which the deepwater port
is located.
(b) On receipt of the list, the commissioner shall immediately
send a copy of the application to each state and local agency.
(c) The applicant may be charged a reasonable fee to cover the
cost of duplicating and mailing the application to the state and
local agencies unless the applicant provides the necessary
copies.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.007. PUBLICATION OF NOTICE. Not later than the 15th day
after the date of receiving a copy of the application from the
governor, the commissioner shall publish notice of the
application in:
(1) the Texas Register;
(2) the newspaper having the greatest general circulation in
Travis County and in each of the five most populous counties in
the state; and
(3) a newspaper in the adjacent coastal county and in each
county that adjoins the adjacent coastal county in which notice
is not otherwise required to be published under this section.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.008. REPORT BY AGENCIES. (a) Not later than the 60th
day after the date of receiving a copy of the application from
the commissioner, a state or local agency notified under Section
52.006 shall report in writing to the commissioner the agency's
determination of whether the application complies with laws,
including rules and regulations, administered by the agency.
(b) If an agency determines that the application does not comply
with laws administered by that agency, the agency shall include
in the report:
(1) a detailed description of the manner in which the
application does not comply; and
(2) recommended changes that would enable the application to
comply with those laws.
(c) The commissioner shall send a copy of the agency's report to
the applicant.
(d) An applicant is entitled to:
(1) respond in writing to the agency that issued the report; and
(2) request and receive a public hearing before the commissioner
on the provisions of the application that an agency has
determined do not comply with laws administered by that agency.
(e) If an agency fails to file a report within the period
prescribed by Subsection (a), the application is presumed to
comply with the laws administered by that agency.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.009. HEARINGS. (a) The commissioner may hold a public
hearing after receiving the reports required under Section
52.008.
(b) If the commissioner decides to hold a public hearing or if
the applicant requests a hearing under Section 52.008(d)(2), the
commissioner shall publish notice of the hearing in the
publications described by Section 52.007.
(c) Notice of the hearing must:
(1) describe the purpose of the hearing; and
(2) provide the date, time, and place of the hearing.
(d) Notice of the hearing must be published and personal notice
of the hearing, if any, must be given not later than the 10th day
before the date set for the hearing.
(e) The commissioner may consolidate a hearing held under this
section with the hearing that is required to be held in this
state by the secretary under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33
U.S.C. Sec. 1501 et seq.).
(f) A hearing held under this section must be concluded not
later than the 120th day after the date the commissioner receives
the application from the governor. The commissioner may hold a
hearing after that date if:
(1) the required federal hearing in this state has not been
held; and
(2) the commissioner decides to consolidate the hearings and
gives notice of the decision.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.010. REPORT BY COMMISSIONER. (a) Notwithstanding
Section 52.009(f), not later than the 150th day after the date of
receiving a copy of the application from the governor, the
commissioner shall send the governor:
(1) a written report summarizing the reports submitted by state
and local agencies under Section 52.008; and
(2) a transcript of the testimony from each public hearing the
commissioner held on the application, including each consolidated
hearing.
(b) If the commissioner's report contains a determination by a
state or local agency that the application does not comply with a
law relating to environmental protection, land and water use, or
coastal zone management, the commissioner shall include in the
report:
(1) the manner in which the application does not comply; and
(2) recommended changes that would enable the application to
comply with the law.
(c) If the commissioner fails to report to the governor within
the period prescribed by Subsection (a), the application is
presumed to comply with state and local law.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.011. APPROVAL BY GOVERNOR. (a) On receipt of the
commissioner's report and not later than 45 days after the last
public hearing held by the secretary as required by Section 5(g)
of the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1504(g)), the
governor shall notify the secretary whether the governor approves
or disapproves an application.
(b) The governor may disapprove an application if the governor
concludes the application does not comply with state law
regarding environmental protection, land and water use, and
coastal zone management.
(c) If the governor determines the application can be amended to
comply with those state laws, the governor may approve the
application and notify the secretary of:
(1) the manner in which the application does not comply; and
(2) recommended changes that would enable the application to
comply with those state laws.
(d) The governor shall send a copy of the notification to the
secretary, the applicant, the commissioner, and each state and
local agency that was notified under Section 52.006.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 52.012. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS. This chapter does not affect
the power or activities of a state or local agency and does not
change or repeal the statutes regarding those agencies.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.