BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 216
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Date of Hearing: June 27, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Steven Bradford, Chair
SB 216 (Yee) - As Amended: May 31, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 39-0
SUBJECT : Natural Gas Pipeline Safety: automatic shutoffs
SUMMARY : This bill authorizes the California Public Utilities
Commission (PUC) to require automatic shut off or remote
controlled valves on certain natural gas facilities.
Specifically, this bill :
Requires the PUC, unless it is prohibited by federal law, to
require automatic shut off or remote controlled valves on
intrastate natural gas transmission lines located in 'high
consequence areas' or that traverse an active seismic earthquake
fault line.
Requires owners of intrastate pipelines to provide a valve
location plan to the PUC.
EXISTING LAW :
Federal Law and the PUC require each transmission line have
sectionalized block valves placed at specified intervals and in
specified locations ranging from every 2 miles to every 10
miles and classifies pipelines based on the types of facilities
that are within 220 yards of its location.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
The author states that following the September 9, 2010 gas
explosion in the City of San Bruno, California, the National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) highlighted the need for
legislation to require gas utility companies to install
automatic and remotely-controlled shutoff valves throughout
California's pipelines. Investigators say it took PG&E about an
hour and a half to access and manually close the mainline valves
near the ruptured segments and about four more hours to stop the
gas flow to residences at damaged houses in San Bruno. At a
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public hearing regarding the San Bruno gas explosion, PG&E
testified that with automatic or remote-controlled shutoff
valves, it would take about 10 to 15 minutes to analyze the
situation turn off gas supply in pipelines fairly quickly.
After the San Bruno incident the author met with local fire
chiefs who expressed a need for enhanced communication and
coordination with gas pipeline operators before and during
emergency events involving gas pipelines to ensure that hazards
are minimized. The issue was heightened as greater attention
was given to the location of natural gas pipelines throughout
the Bay Area, some of which are adjacent to fault lines, and the
risks associated with earthquakes.
High Consequence Area (HCA) is a term defined in Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) and means:
An area that has 46 or more buildings intended for human
occupancy; or an area where the pipeline lies within 100 yards
(91 meters) of either a building or a small, well-defined
outside area (such as a playground, recreation area, outdoor
theater, or other place of public assembly) that is occupied
by 20 or more persons on at least 5 days a week for 10 weeks
in any 12-month period. (The days and weeks need not be
consecutive.) This is a Class 3 Area defined by 49 CFR 192.4
(3)
Any location unit where buildings with four or more stories
above ground are prevalent (49 CFR 194.4 (4))
Any location that has fewer than 46 buildings intended for
human occupancy (Class 1 and Class 2 areas defined by 49 CFR
192.5) where the potential impact radius is greater than 660
feet (200 meters), and the area within a potential impact
circle contains 20 or more buildings intended for human
occupancy; or
Any location that has fewer than 46 buildings intended for
human occupancy (Class 1 and Class 2 areas defined by 49 CFR
192.5) where the potential impact circle contains an
identified site. Identified site means each of the following
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areas:
An outside area or open structure that is occupied by
twenty (20) or more persons on at least 50 days in any
twelve (12)-month period. (The days need not be
consecutive.) Examples include but are not limited to,
beaches, playgrounds, recreational facilities, camping
grounds, outdoor theaters, stadiums, recreational areas
near a body of water, or areas outside a rural building
such as a religious facility; or
A building that is occupied by twenty (20) or more
persons on at least five (5) days a week for ten (10) weeks
in any twelve (12)-month period. (The days and weeks need
not be consecutive.) Examples include, but are not limited
to, religious facilities, office buildings, community
centers, general stores, 4-H facilities, or roller skating
rinks; or
A facility occupied by persons who are confined, are of
impaired mobility, or would be difficult to evacuate.
Examples include but are not limited to hospitals, prisons,
schools, day-care facilities, retirement facilities or
assisted-living facilities.
PG&E has the second highest amount of high pressure transmission
pipeline located in HCA compared to other utilities or pipeline
companies in the U.S. PG&E has 1,021 miles of pipeline within
the urbanized or so-called high consequence areas. Sempra's
Southern California Gas system and San Diego Gas & Electric have
1,320 miles of pipeline within high consequence areas.
State and municipal authorities have safety agreements and/or
certifications with the U.S. Department of Transportation for
regulating intrastate and interstate pipelines. Federal law
does not specifically name responsible agencies at the state and
local level for implementing federal law - it allows the
Department of Transportation to enter into agreements or receive
certifications from state and local authorities. Several
publicly owned utilities own and operate pipelines, including
Palo Alto, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power.
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The author may wish to consider an amendment to clarify that the
provisions of this bill to specify the PUC's jurisdiction is
limited to what is within the scope of the PUC's regulatory
authority and delineated in the PUC's certification to the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 56 (Hill) requires the operators of natural gas pipelines to
institute safety programs and facilities modernization programs
and requires the Public Utilities Commission to oversee those
programs.
SB 44 (Corbett) requires the Public Utilities Commission to set
emergency response standards for PUC-regulated gas pipeline and
distribution systems and requires that access to pipeline maps
be made accessible to the State Fire Marshal and the local fire
marshal.
SB 705 (Leno) requires natural gas utilities regulated by the
Public Utilities Commission to develop service and safety plans.
SB 879 (Padilla) requires the Public Utilities Commission to
require natural gas utilities to account for ratepayer funds
designated for pipeline maintenance and repair in a more
transparent way.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Chapters of the American Red Cross
California Emergency Nurses Association (CalENA)
California Professional Firefighters (CPF)
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
California State Firefighters' Association, Inc.
Consumer Attorneys of California
Consumer Federation of California (CFC)
International Association of Firefighters Local 2400
San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E)
San Francisco Firefighters
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San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
San Mateo County Community College District
San Mateo County Firefighters
Sempra Energy utilities
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)
Opposition
None of file.
Analysis Prepared by : Susan Kateley / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083