Rep. Anchia Gets Money for Study of Seismic Activity in Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liz Zornes (512) 463-0746
MAY 28, 2015
ANCHIA GETS MONEY FOR STUDY OF SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN TEXAS
HB 2 appropriates $4.5 million to study cause of earthquakes
(Austin) Today the House of Representatives gave final approval to HB 2, the supplemental appropriations bill, that included an appropriation of $4.5 million to the University of Texas at Austin Bureau of Economic Geology for a study of seismic activity in the state of Texas. A member of the House Energy Resources Committee, Anchia took the language from his HB 2932 and worked with House leadership, particularly Energy Resources Chairman Drew Darby of San Angelo, to include it and the related appropriation in HB 2.
“Our community is rightfully concerned about the unusually high seismic activity in Dallas, Irving and Farmers Branch. This study should help us get to the bottom of it,” said Rep. Anchia. “I am grateful to House leadership for responding quickly and providing significant funding for this work.”
The appropriation is for the purchase and deployment of seismic equipment, maintenance of seismic networks, modeling of reservoir behavior for systems of wells in the vicinity of faults, and the establishment of a technical advisory committee. Of the $4.5 million, $1.5 shall be used for modeling of reservoir behavior and other data analysis conducted through a memorandum of understanding with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
The report is to be delivered by December 1, 2016, to the Governor, the House Energy Resources Committee, and the Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee.
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