Amended in Senate June 22, 2016

Amended in Senate June 20, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 31, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 4, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1903

Introduced by Assembly Member Wilk

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(Coauthor: Senator Pavley)

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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.

This bill, if sufficient moneys are recovered by the commission and appropriated for the purpose of these provisions, 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 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:

SECTION 1.  

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

911.3.  

(a) If begin insert sufficient end insert moneys are appropriated as specified
in subdivision (d), the commission shall 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. The
study shall include, but is not limited to, both of the following:

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

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

(b) The commission shall 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.

(c) (1) Consistent with its authority to bring enforcement actions
under this part, the commission shall order Southern California
Gas Company to pay for the study described in subdivision (a).

(2) If the commission penalizes Southern California Gas
Company for its responsibilities related to the natural gas leak at
the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, the commission may
include the costs of the study described in subdivision (a) in any
penalty assessment.

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

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