Department of State Health Services' Role in TGPC
Department of State Health Services Web site
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is responsible for promoting and protecting
the health and well-being of Texans. In the TGPC, the department is concerned with
groundwater safety and public health concerns.
Division for Regulatory Services, Radiation Control Program
The Department of State Health Services' Division for Regulatory Services, Radiation Control Program (RCP) regulates radioactive materials in Texas, including uranium recovery and radioactive waste disposal. The RCP monitors groundwater for radionuclides on a routine basis at several facilities. Intermittently the RCP will sample groundwater as a result of an incident, complaint, or situation which leads the RCP to believe there may be groundwater contamination.
Environmental and Consumer Safety Section
With regard to groundwater issues, the Environmental and Consumer Safety Section primarily serves in an advisory or public service role. The Environmental and Consumer Safety Section has programs that indirectly provide protection to the state's water resources, such as enforcing rules on PCB's and the reporting of hazardous substances.
Laboratory Services Section
The Laboratory Services Section laboratory preforms chemical and microbiological analyses for water quality testing. DSHS' Laboratory Services Section accepts water samples for routine microbiological analysis from the public for a fee.
More information regarding the various groundwater protection programs within this agency can be found in the current version of the TGPC's Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report.
