Amended in Assembly May 31, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 4, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 1903


Introduced by Assembly Member Wilk

February 11, 2016


An act to add and repeal Section 911.3 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to natural gas.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1903, as amended, Wilk. Aliso Canyon gas leak: health impact study.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011, within the Public Utilities Act, designates the commission as the state authority responsible for regulating and enforcing federal law with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation and pipeline facilities. Existing law requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to evaluate the environmental and health risks posed by various substances.

Thisbegin delete billend deletebegin insert billend insertbegin insert, if sufficient moneys are recovered by the commission and appropriated for the purpose of these provisions,end insert would require the commission to authorize a study by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of the long-term health impacts of the significant natural gas leak from the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility located in the County of Los Angeles that started approximately October 23, 2015, as specified. The bill would require the commission to publish and transmit the report by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and its ongoing findings to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on a biennial basis, on or before January 1 of every even-numbered year, from 2018 until 2028. The bill would require the commission, consistent with its authority to bring enforcement actions, to order Southern California Gas Company to pay for the study. The bill would require the commission to prohibit Southern California Gas Company from recovering any of those costs in any rate approved by the commission. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2029.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 911.3 is added to the Public Utilities
2Code
, to read:

3

911.3.  

(a) begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertIf moneys are appropriated as specified in
4subdivision (d), the end insert
commission shall authorize a study by the
5Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of the
6long-term health impacts of the significant natural gas leak from
7the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility located in the County
8of Los Angeles that started approximately October 23, 2015. The
9study shall include, but is not limited to, both of the following:

10(1) An investigation of the impact of the natural gas leak on the
11health of persons who resided within a 12-mile radius of the Aliso
12Canyon natural gas storage facility in the County of Los Angeles
13between October 23, 2015, and the date when the State Oil and
14Gas Supervisor has determined that the gas well safety review
15conducted pursuant to Order 1109, issued by the State Oil and Gas
16Supervisor on March 4, 2016, is complete.

17(2) An evaluation of the impact on residents due to exposure to
18chemicals, including, but not limited to, methane, benzene, and
19mercaptan.

20(b) The commission shall publish and transmit the report by the
21Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and its ongoing
22findings to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature
23on a biennial basis, on or before January 1 of every even-numbered
24year, from 2018 until 2028.

25(c) (1) Consistent with its authority to bring enforcement actions
26under this part, the commission shall order Southern California
P3    1Gas Company to pay for the studybegin delete conducted pursuant toend deletebegin insert described
2inend insert
subdivision (a).

3(2) The commission shall prohibit Southern California Gas
4Company from recovering any of the costs ordered to be paid
5pursuant to paragraph (1) in any rate approved by the commission.

6(3) If the commission penalizes Southern California Gas
7Company for its responsibilities related to the natural gas leak at
8the Aliso Canyonbegin delete Natural Gas Storageend deletebegin insert natural gas storageend insert facility,
9the commission may include the costs of the studybegin delete conducted
10pursuant toend delete
begin insert described inend insert subdivision (a) in any penalty assessment.

begin insert

11
(d) The commission shall authorize and the Office of
12Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall undertake the
13study described in subdivision (a) only if the commission has
14recovered sufficient moneys to pay the costs of the entire study
15pursuant to subdivision (c) and the Legislature has appropriated
16those moneys for the purpose of this section.

end insert
begin delete

17(d)

end delete

18begin insert(e)end insert This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029,
19and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
20is enacted before January 1, 2029, deletes or extends that date.



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