Texas Natural Resources Code - NAT RES § 81.056. Contamination Report

(a) In this section:

(b) If in the process of placing, repairing, replacing, or maintaining a pipeline a common carrier or an owner or operator of a pipeline observes or detects any petroleum-based contamination of soil or water in proximity to the pipeline, the common carrier or pipeline owner or operator shall report the contamination to the commission and the owner of the land on which the pipeline is located. Petroleum-based contamination of soil or water that is observed or detected is required to be reported under this subsection if:

(c) The contamination report:

(d) Not later than the third business day after the date the commission receives the contamination report, a person authorized by the commission shall withdraw a soil sample from the contaminated land. The person is entitled to enter the land for the purpose of withdrawing the sample.

(e) A common carrier or pipeline owner or operator that makes a contamination report under this section is released from all liability for the contamination or the cleanup of the contamination covered by the report, except for any contamination caused by the common carrier or pipeline owner or operator.

(f) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this section.

(g) The commission may use money in the oil-field cleanup fund to implement this section. The amount of money in the fund the commission may use for that purpose may not exceed the amount of money in the fund that is derived from fees collected under Section 91.142 from common carriers or owners or operators of pipelines as determined annually by the commission.