Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=5.&part=1.&chapter=5.5.&article=
Timestamp: 2019-11-21 03:36:42
Document Index: 236793682

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 195', 'art 195', 'art 195', 'art 195', 'art 195', 'art 195', 'art 195']

CHAPTER 5.5. The Elder California Pipeline Safety Act Of 1981 [51010 - 51019.1]
( Heading of Chapter 5.5 amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 855, Sec. 1. )
It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this chapter, that the State Fire Marshal shall exercise exclusive safety regulatory and enforcement authority over intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines and, to the extent authorized by agreement between the State Fire Marshal and the United States Secretary of Transportation, and may act as agent for the United State Secretary of Transportation to implement the federal Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act (49 U.S.C. Sec. 2001 et seq.) and federal pipeline safety regulations as to those portions of interstate pipelines located within this state, as necessary to obtain annual federal certification.
(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 995, Sec. 1.)
(a) “Pipeline” includes every intrastate pipeline used for the transportation of hazardous liquid substances or highly volatile liquid substances, including a common carrier pipeline, and all piping containing those substances located within a refined products bulk loading facility which is owned by a common carrier and is served by a pipeline of that common carrier, and the common carrier owns and serves by pipeline at least five such facilities in the state. “Pipeline” does not include the following:
(3) A pipeline for the transportation of crude oil that operates by gravity or at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe.
(4) Transportation of petroleum in onshore gathering lines located in rural areas.
(5) A pipeline for the transportation of a hazardous liquid substance offshore located upstream from the outlet flange of each facility on the Outer Continental Shelf where hydrocarbons are produced or where produced hydrocarbons are first separated, dehydrated, or otherwise processed, whichever facility is farther downstream.
(6) Transportation of a hazardous liquid by a flow line.
(7) A pipeline for the transportation of a hazardous liquid substance through an onshore production, refining, or manufacturing facility, including a storage or inplant piping system associated with that facility.
(8) Transportation of a hazardous liquid substance by vessel, aircraft, tank truck, tank car, or other vehicle or terminal facilities used exclusively to transfer hazardous liquids between those modes of transportation.
(b) “Flow line” means a pipeline which transports hazardous liquid substances from the well head to a treating facility or production storage facility.
(e) “Rural area” means a location which lies outside the limits of any incorporated or unincorporated city or city and county, or other residential or commercial area, such as a subdivision, a business, a shopping center, or a community development.
(g) “Production facility” means piping or equipment used in the production, extraction, recovery, lifting, stabilization, separation, or treatment of petroleum or associated storage or measurement. (To be a production facility under this definition, piping or equipment must be used in the process of extracting petroleum from the ground and transporting it by pipeline.)
(h) “Public drinking water well” means a wellhead that provides drinking water to a public water system as defined in Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code, that is regulated by the State Department of Health Services and that is subject to Section 116455 of the Health and Safety Code.
(i) “GIS mapping system” means a geographical information system that will collect, store, retrieve, analyze, and display environmental geographical data in a data base that is accessible to the public.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 814, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.)
51010.6.
Notwithstanding Section 51010.5, that portion of an interstate pipeline which is located within this state and is subject to an agreement between the United States Secretary of Transportation and the State Fire Marshal is subject to the federal Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 (49 U.S.C. Sec. 2001 et seq.), the Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-561), and federal pipeline safety regulations.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 2.)
The State Fire Marshal shall adopt hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations in compliance with the federal law relating to hazardous liquid pipeline safety, including, but not limited to, compliance orders, penalties, and inspection and maintenance provisions, and including amendments to those laws and regulations which may be hereafter enacted and adopted. Regulations adopting the minimum standards for hazardous liquid pipelines contained in the Federal Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Sec. 2001 et seq., and Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, by the State Fire Marshal are exempt from the procedures specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, except that those regulations shall be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for filing with the Secretary of State and publication in the California Code of Regulations.
The State Fire Marshal may exempt the application of regulations adopted pursuant to this section to any pipeline, or portion thereof, when it is determined that the risk to public safety is slight and the probability of injury or damage remote.
Notification of exemptions shall be written, and shall include a discussion of those factors which the State Fire Marshal considers significant to the granting of the exemption.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 395, Sec. 1.)
51012.
The State Fire Marshal shall establish a Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee for purposes of informing local agencies and every pipeline operator of changes in applicable laws and regulations affecting the operations of pipelines and reviewing proposed hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations adopted pursuant to Section 51011.
The committee shall be composed of eight members of whom two shall represent pipeline operators, three shall represent local agencies, one shall be a fire chief, and two shall be public members. The committee shall meet when requested by the State Fire Marshal, but not less than once a year. The members shall be paid expenses and one hundred dollars ($100) per diem for each meeting.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 1.)
51012.3.
(a) Every operator of a pipeline shall conform the pipeline to the federal regulations in Subparts A to F, inclusive, of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as those regulations may be hereafter amended, in accordance with the following schedule:
(1) On or before July 1, 1984, the pipeline operator shall meet the requirements of subsection (c) of Section 195.401 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, but those requirements shall apply only to a pipeline constructed after January 1, 1984, and shall not apply until January 1, 1991, to a pipeline which transports by gravity or which operates at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe.
(2) On or before January 1, 1985, the pipeline operator shall meet the requirements of Section 195.402 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Operators of intrastate pipelines subject to federal regulation under Amendment 195-33 to Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations issued April 17, 1985, (effective date, October 21, 1985—50 F.R. 15895 et seq.), shall meet the requirements of Section 195.402 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations on or before April 23, 1987.
(3) The pipeline operator shall meet the cathodic protection requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 195.414 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:
(A) On or before October 21, 1986, 25 percent of the required cathodic protection shall be installed.
(B) On or before October 21, 1987, 50 percent of the required cathodic protection shall be installed.
(C) On or before October 19, 1988, all required cathodic protection shall be installed, except as provided in paragraph (D).
(D) On or before January 1, 1991, all required cathodic protection shall be installed on pipelines which transport by gravity or operate at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe.
(4) Operators of intrastate pipelines subject to federal regulation under Amendment 195-33 of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations issued April 17, 1985, (effective date, October 21, 1985—50 F.R. 15895 et seq.), shall meet the requirements of Section 195.414 (a), (b), and (c) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) For purposes of applying the federal regulations of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the word “Secretary,” when it appears in the federal regulations, means the “State Fire Marshal.”
(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1195, Sec. 2.)
51012.4.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, including, but not limited to, Section 51012.3, each pipeline operator shall file with the State Fire Marshal, on or before July 1, 2000, an inspection, maintenance, improvement, or replacement assessment for the following:
(1) Any pipeline or pipeline segments built before January 1, 1960.
(2) Any pipeline installed on or after January 1, 1960, for which regular internal inspections cannot be conducted, or which shows diminished integrity due to corrosion or inadequate cathodic protection.
(b) When preparing any assessment required by subdivision (a), the operator shall give priority to older pipelines located in densely populated areas, pipelines with a high-leak history, pipelines located near existing seismic fault lines, or, pipelines in areas with identified ground formations.
(c) On or before January 1, 1998, the State Fire Marshal, in consultation with the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee and pipeline operators, shall establish evaluation criteria for use by a pipeline operator when conducting any assessment required by subdivision (a).
(d) A pipeline inspection, maintenance, improvement, or replacement assessment developed pursuant to this section may incorporate any information on regulatory requirements or existing public policies that could act as barriers to the inspection, maintenance, improvement, or replacement of pipelines, including, but not limited to, findings from the studies required pursuant to Section 51015.05.
(e) Nothing in this section is intended to require the replacement of a pipeline.
(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 973, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)
(a) Any new pipeline constructed after January 1, 1984, and which normally operates under conditions of constant flow and pressure, shall be designed and constructed in accordance with Subparts C and D of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and shall include a means of leak detection and cathodic protection which the State Fire Marshal determines is acceptable, except that any pipeline which transports by gravity or operates at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe shall meet these design and construction requirements on or before January 1, 1991.
(b) Any new pipeline on which construction begins after January 1, 1990, shall be designed to accommodate the passage of instrumented internal inspection devices, and shall have leak mitigation and emergency response plans and equipment as the State Fire Marshal may require. Any repairs to existing pipelines which can accommodate instrumented internal inspection devices shall be done in a manner not to interfere with the passage of these devices.
(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to the replacement of valves and the relocation or replacement of portions of pipelines.
(d) For pipelines which cannot accommodate internal inspection devices, replacements of portions of the pipe shall be done in a manner consistent, to the extent practicable, with the eventual accommodation of instrumented internal inspection devices.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 3.)
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 341, Sec. 1. (SB 840) Effective September 13, 2016.)
51013.5.
(a) Every newly constructed pipeline, existing pipeline, or part of a pipeline system that has been relocated or replaced, and every pipeline that transports a hazardous liquid substance or highly volatile liquid substance, shall be tested in accordance with Subpart E (commencing with Section 195.300) of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) Every pipeline not provided with properly sized automatic pressure relief devices or properly designed pressure limiting devices shall be hydrostatically tested annually.
(c) Every pipeline over 10 years of age and not provided with effective cathodic protection shall be hydrostatically tested every three years, except for those on the State Fire Marshal’s list of higher risk pipelines, which shall be hydrostatically tested annually.
(d) Every pipeline over 10 years of age and provided with effective cathodic protection shall be hydrostatically tested every five years, except for those on the State Fire Marshal’s list of higher risk pipelines which shall be hydrostatically tested every two years.
(e) Piping within a refined products bulk loading facility served by pipeline shall be tested hydrostatically at 125 percent of maximum allowable operating pressure utilizing the product ordinarily transported in that piping if that piping is operated at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe. The frequency for pressure testing these pipelines shall be every five years for those pipelines with effective cathodic protection and every three years for those pipelines without effective cathodic protection. If that piping is observable, visual inspection may be the method of testing.
(f) Beginning on July 1, 1990, and continuing until the regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subdivision (g) take effect, each pipeline within the State Fire Marshal’s jurisdiction which satisfies any of the following sets of criteria shall be placed on the State Fire Marshal’s list of higher risk pipelines until five years pass without a reportable leak due to corrosion or defect on that pipeline. Initially, pipelines on that list shall be tested by the next scheduled test date, or within two years of being placed on the list, whichever is first. On July 1, 1990, pipeline operators shall provide the State Fire Marshal with a list of all their pipelines which satisfy the criteria in this subdivision as of July 1, 1990. If any pipeline becomes eligible for the list of higher risk pipelines after that date, the pipeline company shall report that fact to the State Fire Marshal within 30 days, and the pipeline shall be placed on the list retroactively to the date on which it became eligible for listing. Pipelines which are found to belong on the list, but are not so reported by the operator to the State Fire Marshal, shall be placed on the list retroactively. Operators failing to properly report their pipelines shall be subject to penalties under Section 51018.6. Pipelines not covered under the risk criteria developed pursuant to subdivision (g) shall be deleted from the list when regulations are adopted pursuant to that subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, a leak which is traceable to an external force, but for which corrosion is partly responsible, shall be deemed caused by corrosion, “defect” refers to manufacturing or construction defects, and “leak” or “reportable leak” means a rupture required to be reported pursuant to Section 51018. As long as all pipelines are tested in their entirety at least as frequently as standard risk pipelines under subdivisions (c) and (d), it shall suffice for additional tests on higher risk pipelines to cover 20 pipeline miles in all directions along an operator’s pipeline from the position of the leak or leaks which led to the inclusion or retention of that pipeline on the higher risk list. The interim list shall include pipelines which meet any of the following criteria:
(1) Have suffered two or more reportable leaks, not including leaks during a certified hydrostatic pressure test, due to corrosion or defect in the prior three years.
(2) Have suffered three or more reportable leaks, not including leaks during a certified hydrostatic pressure test, due to corrosion, defects, or external forces, but not all due to external forces, in the prior three years.
(3) Have suffered a reportable leak, except during a certified hydrostatic pressure test, due to corrosion or defect of more than 50,000 gallons, or 10,000 gallons in a standard metropolitan statistical area, in the prior three years; or have suffered a leak due to corrosion or defect which the State Fire Marshal finds has resulted in more than 42 gallons of a hazardous liquid within the State Fire Marshal’s jurisdiction entering a waterway in the prior three years; or have suffered a reportable leak of a hazardous liquid with a flashpoint of less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or 60 degrees centigrade, in the prior three years.
(4) Are less than 50 miles long, and have experienced a reportable leak, except during a certified hydrostatic pressure test, due to corrosion or a defect in the prior three years. For the purposes of this paragraph, the length of a pipeline with more than two termini shall be the longest distance between two termini along the pipeline.
(5) Have experienced a reportable leak in the prior five years due to corrosion or defect, except during a certified hydrostatic pressure test, on a section of pipe more than 50 years old. For pipelines which fall in this category, and no other category of higher risk pipeline, additional tests required by this subdivision shall be required only on segments of the pipe more than 50 years old as long as all pipe more than 50 years old which is within 20 pipeline miles from the leak in all directions along an operator’s pipeline is tested.
(g) The State Fire Marshal shall study indicators and precursors of serious pipeline accidents, and, in consultation with the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee, shall develop criteria for identifying which hazardous liquid pipelines pose the greatest risk to people and the environment due to the likelihood of, and likely seriousness of, an accident due to corrosion or defect. The study shall give due consideration to research done by the industry, the federal government, academia, and to any other information which the State Fire Marshal shall deem relevant, including, but not limited to, recent leak history, pipeline location, and materials transported. Beginning January 1, 1992, using the criteria identified in that study, the State Fire Marshal shall maintain a list of higher risk pipelines, which exceed a standard of risk to be determined by the State Fire Marshal, and which shall be tested as required in subdivisions (c) and (d) as long as they remain on the list. By January 1, 1992, after public hearings, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations to implement this subdivision.
(h) In addition to the requirements of subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, the State Fire Marshal may require any pipeline subject to this chapter to be subjected to a pressure test, or any other test or inspection, at any time, in the interest of public safety.
(i) Test methods other than the hydrostatic tests required by subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e), including inspection by instrumented internal inspection devices, may be approved by the State Fire Marshal on an individual basis. If the State Fire Marshal approves an alternative to a pressure test in an individual case, the State Fire Marshal may require that the alternative test be given more frequently than the testing frequencies specified in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e).
(j) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations before January 1, 1992, to establish what the State Fire Marshal deems to be an appropriate frequency for tests and inspections, including instrumented internal inspections, which, when permitted as a substitute for tests required under subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), do not damage pipelines or require them to be shut down for the testing period. That testing shall in no event be less frequent than is required by subdivisions (b), (c), and (d). Each time one of these tests is required on a pipeline, it shall be approved on the same individual basis as under subdivision (i). If it is not approved, a hydrostatic test shall be carried out at the time the alternative test would have been carried out, and subsequent tests shall be carried out in accordance with the time intervals prescribed by subdivision (b), (c), or (d), as applicable.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 395, Sec. 2.)
(a) The pressure tests required by subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 51013.5 shall be conducted in accordance with Subpart E (commencing with Section 195.300) of Part 195 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, except that an additional four-hour leak test, as specified in subsection (c) of Section 195.302 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shall not be required under subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 51013.5. The State Fire Marshal may authorize the use of liquid petroleum having a flashpoint over 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Centigrade as the test medium. The State Fire Marshal shall make these authorizations in writing. Pressure tests performed under subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 51013.5 shall not show an hourly change for each section of the pipeline under test at the time in excess of either 10 gallons or the sum of one gallon and an amount computed at a rate in gallons per mile equivalent to one-tenth of the nominal internal diameter of the pipe in inches.
(b) Test pressure shall be at least 125 percent of the actual pipeline operating pressure.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 5.)
51014.3.
(a) Each pipeline operator shall notify the State Fire Marshal and the local fire department having fire suppression responsibilities at least three working days prior to conducting a hydrostatic test which is required by this chapter. The notification shall include all of the following information:
(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the pipeline operator.
(2) The specific location of the pipeline section to be tested and the location of the test equipment.
(3) The date and time the test is to be conducted.
(4) An invitation and a telephone number for local fire departments to call for further information on what they should do in the event of a leak during testing.
(5) The test medium.
(6) The name and telephone number of the independent testing firm or person responsible for certification of the test results.
(b) The State Fire Marshal may observe tests conducted pursuant to this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 5.5.)
51014.5.
(a) When hydrostatic testing is required by Section 51013.5, the test results shall be certified by an independent testing firm or person who is selected from a list, provided by the State Fire Marshal, of independent testing firms or persons approved annually by the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire Marshal may charge a fee for consideration and approval of an independent testing firm or person pursuant to this subdivision, not to exceed the reasonable costs of that consideration and approval.
(b) The results of the tests required by Section 51013.5 shall be submitted by the independent testing firm or person within 30 days after completion of the test to the State Fire Marshal, who may review the results. The report shall show all of the following information:
(1) The date of the test.
(2) A description of the pipeline tested including a map of suitable scale showing the route of the pipeline.
(3) The results of the test.
(4) Any other test information that may be specifically requested by the State Fire Marshal.
(c) The State Fire Marshal shall not supervise, control, or otherwise direct the testing.
(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 995, Sec. 3.)
51014.6.
(a) Effective January 1, 1987, no person, other than the pipeline operator, shall do any of the following with respect to any pipeline easement:
(1) Build, erect, or create a structure or improvement within the pipeline easement or permit the building, erection, or creation thereof.
(2) Build, erect, or create a structure, fence, wall, or obstruction adjacent to any pipeline easement which would prevent complete and unimpaired surface access to the easement, or permit the building, erection, or creation thereof.
(b) No shrubbery or shielding shall be installed on the pipeline easement which would impair aerial observation of the pipeline easement. This subdivision does not prevent the revegetation of any landscape disturbed within a pipeline easement as a result of constructing the pipeline and does not prevent the holder of the underlying fee interest or the holder’s tenant from planting and harvesting seasonal agricultural crops on a pipeline easement.
(c) This section does not prohibit a pipeline operator from performing any necessary activities within a pipeline easement, including, but not limited to, the construction, replacement, relocation, repair, or operation of the pipeline.
(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1401, Sec. 5.)
(a) Every pipeline operator shall provide to the fire department having fire suppression responsibilities a map or suitable diagram showing the location of the pipeline, a description of all products transported within the pipeline, and a contingency plan for pipeline emergencies which shall include, but not be limited to any reasonable information which the State Fire Marshal may require.
(b) A pipeline operator shall make available to the State Fire Marshal, or any officers or employees authorized by the State Fire Marshal, upon presentation of appropriate credentials, any records, maps, and written procedures that are required, by this chapter, to be kept by the pipeline operator and which concern accident reporting, design, construction, testing, or operation and maintenance.
(c) Every pipeline operator shall offer to meet with the local fire department having fire suppression responsibilities at least once each calendar year to discuss and review contingency plans for pipeline emergencies.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 6.)
(1) Pipelines, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 51010.5, used for the transportation of crude oil that operate by gravity or at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength of the pipe.
(2) Pipelines, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 51010.5, used for the transportation of petroleum in onshore gathering lines located in rural areas.
(d) Any state or local governmental agency that regulates, supervises, or exerts authority over any pipeline described in subdivision (a) shall report any information or data specified in subdivision (b) in its possession to the State Fire Marshal. That information shall be submitted to the State Fire Marshal in a computer compatible format.
(f) The costs of this section shall be funded from federal block grant funds. This section shall become operative only upon receipt of these federal block grant funds as determined by the State Fire Marshal. Upon receipt of these funds the State Fire Marshal shall provide written notice to both houses of the Legislature for publication in their respective journals.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 193, Sec. 57. Effective January 1, 2005.)
(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 607, Sec. 1. (SB 295) Effective January 1, 2016.)
51015.2.
(a) The Legislature recognizes that hazardous liquid pipelines are often located alongside and in the immediate proximity of rail lines. In the event of a derailment, these pipelines may be damaged in such a fashion that their integrity is lost, making a rupture or leak more likely.
(b) In an effort to better protect public safety, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations governing the construction, testing, operations, periodic inspection, and emergency operations of intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines located within 500 feet of any rail line. These regulations shall, at a minimum, include provisions dealing with the following:
(1) Minimum depth of cover for newly constructed or reconstructed pipelines.
(2) Minimum hydrostatic testing requirements for newly constructed pipelines.
(3) Minimum requirements for testing existing pipelines which may have been affected by a derailment.
(4) Minimum requirements for periodic inspections.
(5) Minimum requirements for installation and operation of safety or check valves.
(6) Procedures for developing, testing, approving, and implementing coordinated emergency contingency plans prepared by pipeline and rail operators. These procedures shall also provide for consultation with local affected agencies, and require pipeline and rail operations to develop and implement emergency training for their employees approved by the State Fire Marshal.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 3.)
51015.3.
The State Fire Marshal may, in the interest of public safety, adopt emergency regulations which govern intrastate pipeline emergencies involving railroad car derailments. Any hazardous liquid pipeline located in a rural area shall be exempt from these regulations. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, these emergency regulations shall remain in effect until permanent regulations provided for in Section 51015.2 are adopted, but in no case beyond January 1, 1995.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 4.)
51015.4.
(a) Each operator shall, as specified in regulations provided for in subdivision (c), maintain each valve and check valve that is necessary for the safe operation of its pipeline systems in good working order at all times.
(b) Each operator shall provide protection for each valve and check valve from unauthorized operation and from vandalism.
(c) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations, not later than June 30, 1991, which establish procedures for maintaining, testing, and inspecting mainline valves and check valves on intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 5.)
51015.5.
(a) In the event of an intrastate pipeline rupture, leak, or other incident which could affect safe pipeline operation, any person who performs or intends to perform nonemergency site cleanup, repair, reconstruction, or any other alteration shall obtain prior approval from the State Fire Marshal.
(b) Approval by the State Fire Marshal of a repair plan, submitted by a pipeline operator in conformance with contingency plan requirements established by the State Fire Marshal, shall constitute prior approval to perform repairs as specified in subdivision (a).
(c) The State Fire Marshal may adopt regulations to implement subdivisions (a) and (b).
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 6.)
(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 341, Sec. 2. (SB 840) Effective September 13, 2016. Inoperative January 31, 2021, by its own provisions.)
The State Fire Marshal shall study the spacing of valves which would limit spillage into standard metropolitan statistical areas and environmentally sensitive areas from surrounding higher ground. If any existing pipeline system’s valve spacing is deemed insufficient to protect California’s uniquely situated population centers and environmental resources, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations to require the addition of valves on existing pipelines. If the study indicates that guidelines for valve spacing do not, in the State Fire Marshal’s opinion, adequately protect these population centers and environmental resources, the State Fire Marshal may adopt regulations to require new valves on new, existing, or replacement pipelines as necessary to protect the public interest.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1277, Sec. 6.5.)
51017.
(a) The State Fire Marshal shall develop a comprehensive data base of pipeline information that can be utilized for emergency response and program operational purposes. The data base shall include information on pipeline location, age, reported leak incidences, and inspection history, and shall have the capability of mapping pipeline locations throughout the state. The data collection format shall be compatible with any pipeline mapping project implemented by the United States Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety and shall be compatible with GIS mapping and data management required by Article 12 (commencing with Section 25299.97) of Chapter 6.75 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code.
(b) The sum of four hundred sixty-nine thousand dollars ($469,000) is hereby appropriated from the California Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Fund to the State Fire Marshal for the purposes of subdivision (a).
(Repealed and added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 814, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1998.)
51017.1.
(a) Utilizing GIS-based location information furnished by the State Department of Health Services and the State Water Resources Control Board, at least once every two years the State Fire Marshal shall determine the identity of each pipeline or pipeline segment that is regulated by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to this chapter that transports petroleum product when that pipeline is located within 1,000 feet of a public drinking water well.
(b) With assistance from the State Department of Health Services and the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Fire Marshal shall notify the operator of the pipelines identified in subdivision (a) of the following information:
(1) That the specific pipeline or pipeline segment has been identified as being located within 1,000 feet of a public drinking water well.
(2) The name of the water purveyor and the location of the public drinking water well affected. With advice from the GIS mapping advisory committee, created pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 25299.97 of the Health and Safety Code, the identification of the pipelines and notification of pipeline owners by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subdivision (a) and this subdivision shall begin once the GIS mapping system created by Section 25299.97 of the Health and Safety Code is able to provide accurate and useful information on pipeline and wellhead locations.
(c) Each pipeline operator notified pursuant to subdivision (b) shall prepare a pipeline wellhead protection plan as required by Section 51017.2 and submit the plan to the State Fire Marshal within 180 days from the date of either receiving the notification specified in subdivision (b), or adoption of regulations by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51017.2, whichever is later.
(d) With the advice of the State Department of Health Services, the State Water Resources Control Board, appropriate California regional water quality control boards, and local water purveyors, the State Fire Marshal shall review each wellhead protection plan submitted by a pipeline operator, and approve those plans that meet the criteria of the regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51017.2. The State Fire Marshal shall have discretion to allow a wellhead protection plan to address multiple wellheads where the conditions creating the risk to the wellheads are substantially similar. The pipeline operator shall implement the wellhead protection plan within 180 days from the date of receiving approval from the State Fire Marshal.
(e) Each pipeline operator having a wellhead protection plan approved by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subdivision (d) shall evaluate that plan at least once every five years to ensure that the plan is in compliance with the current regulations established by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51017.2. The pipeline operator shall provide either written documentation to the State Fire Marshal that the previously approved wellhead protection plan has been evaluated and that no changes are warranted, or submit a new wellhead protection plan to remain in compliance with existing regulations or to meet the requirements of regulations adopted since the plan was approved.
(f) The pipeline operator subject to subdivision (c) may petition the State Fire Marshal in writing for an exemption from the requirements of subdivision (c). With advice from the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Department of Health Services, the California regional water quality control boards, and local water purveyors, the State Fire Marshal may approve the exemption if the petition demonstrates that the pipeline either does not transport motor vehicle fuel, or does not pose a significant threat to the public drinking water well based upon, but not limited to, the following criteria:
(1) Pipeline parameters, such as operation pressure, operating temperature, age, design, fabrication materials, construction, corrosive nature of the surrounding soil, cathodic protection, and feasibility of internal inspection or evaluation tools (smart pigs).
(2) Hydrogeologic parameters, such as soil permeability, direction and velocity of groundwater flow, aquifer location or depth, and hydrogeologic barriers or conduits.
(3) Water well parameters, such as depth of well and well construction.
(4) The nature of the fuel and its ability to migrate to public drinking water wells.
(5) The impact of human activity that may elevate or reduce the risk to the drinking water well.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 485, Sec. 91. Effective January 1, 1999.)
51017.2.
(a) With advice from the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California regional water quality control boards, and local water purveyors, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations for wellhead protection plans that provide guidelines to be used by the pipeline operator as specified in Section 51017.1 to protect the public drinking water well from contamination should a pipeline rupture or leak pose a significant threat to a public drinking water well, taking into account the nature of the fuel and its ability to migrate to a public drinking water well. The regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal shall require each plan to contain adequate and effective measures that are technologically feasible, practical, and operationally sound that protect public drinking water wells. At a minimum, the wellhead protection plan shall contain the following:
(1) Operational activities that provide the pipeline operator with sufficient information to adequately ensure the integrity of the pipeline. These may include internal inspection or evaluation tools (smart pigs), substructure excavation (potholing), well monitoring, additional or more frequent pressure tests, cathodic protection surveys or visual inspections, or other technologies as appropriate.
(2) Response measures that will enhance the pipeline operator’s response to an emergency, such as a pipeline rupture, fire, earthquake, or flood. These measures may include activities, such as additional training for operator staff or improved coordination with emergency response agencies.
(b) At least once every five years, the State Fire Marshal, with the advice of the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California regional water quality control boards, and local water purveyors, shall review the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) to determine if new measures that have been proven to be technologically feasible, practical, and operationally sound should be included in the regulations. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt new regulations if such new measures are identified.
(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 814, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1998.)
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 356, Sec. 7. (SB 96) Effective September 26, 2013.)
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 481, Sec. 1. (AB 2201) Effective January 1, 2013.)
51018.7.
(a) Any person who willfully and knowingly violates any provision of this chapter or a regulation issued pursuant thereto shall, upon conviction, be subject, for each offense, to a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) Any person who willfully and knowingly defaces, damages, removes, or destroys any pipeline sign or right-of-way marker required by federal or state law or regulation shall, upon conviction, be subject, for each offense, to a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 134. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)
51018.8.
The State Fire Marshal may issue orders directing compliance with this chapter or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto. The State Fire Marshal shall specify in the order the particular action which is required of the person issued the order.
(Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1222, Sec. 18. Effective September 30, 1983.)
51019.
The State Fire Marshal may assess and collect from every pipeline operator an annual fee for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. The State Fire Marshal may assess this fee for expenses which will be incurred during the following year. A pipeline operator shall pay this fee when billed by the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire Marshal may impose a delinquency fee of 10 percent of the annual fee if the pipeline operator does not pay the fee within 60 days after receipt of the bill, and, in addition, the pipeline operator shall pay interest on that portion of its annual fee not paid within 60 days at the rate of 15 percent per annum from the date of receipt of the bill until paid. The total amount of the fee collected shall not exceed the actual expenses incurred, or the estimated expenses which will be incurred, by the State Fire Marshal in carrying out this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 995, Sec. 9.)
51019.05.
If the agreement specified in Section 51010.6 is entered into, the State Fire Marshal may assess and collect, from every operator of an interstate pipeline having a portion thereof located within this state, as described in the agreement, an annual fee for the purpose of carrying out this chapter. The State Fire Marshal may assess this fee for expenses which will be incurred during the following year. The pipeline operator shall pay this fee when billed by the State Fire Marshal.
The State Fire Marshal may impose a delinquency fee of 10 percent of the annual fee if the interstate pipeline operator does not pay the fee within 60 days after receipt of the bill, and, in addition, the interstate pipeline operator shall pay interest on that portion of its annual fee not paid within 60 days at the rate of 15 percent per annum from the date of receipt of the bill until paid.
The total amount of the fee collected pursuant to this section and Section 51019 shall not exceed the actual expenses incurred, or the estimated expenses which will be incurred, by the State Fire Marshal in carrying out this chapter.
(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 863, Sec. 3.)
51019.1.
(a) There is hereby created the California Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Fund, consisting of the Local Training Account and the Pipeline Operations Account.
(b) All fees collected pursuant to Sections 51019 and 51019.05 shall be deposited in the Pipeline Operations Account. The money in the account is available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the State Fire Marshal for the purpose of carrying out this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 395, Sec. 3.)