AB 1904, as introduced, Wilk. Hazardous materials: natural gas odorants.
Existing law authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt, amend, and repeal occupational safety and health standards and orders. Existing regulations adopted pursuant to that authorization require natural gas that is delivered into any vessel or system, as specified, to have a distinctive odor of sufficient intensity so that the presence of the gas may be detected down to concentrations in air of not over 20% of the lower explosive limit, and require that these odorants be, among other things, harmless to humans, nontoxic, and noncorrosive to certain metals.
This bill would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2018, that includes an assessment of the danger of odorants currently used in natural gas storage facilities in the state to public health and safety and the environment, and that identifies alternative odorants for possible use in natural gas storage facilities, as specified.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 26250)
2is added to Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
3
On or before January 1, 2018, the Office of
7Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall submit a report
8to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the
9Government Code, that includes all of the following:
10(a) An assessment of the danger of odorants currently used in
11natural gas storage facilities in the state to public health and safety
12and the environment.
13(b) Alternative odorants identified by the Office of
14Environmental Health Hazard Assessment for possible use in
15natural gas storage facilities that pose a lower risk to public health
16and safety and the environment. The Office of Environmental
17Health Hazard Assessment shall evaluate the following issues for
18every alternative odorant
identified:
19(1) The feasibility of using the alternative odorant in natural
20gas storage facilities.
21(2) Any risks of using the alternative odorant, including, but
22not limited to, the risks of unwanted chemical reactions and
23increased corrosion.
24(3) The effectiveness of the alternative odorant at warning of a
25natural gas leak.
Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
27this chapter is repealed on January 1, 2021.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
29immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
30the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
31immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
32In order to immediately begin assessing the danger of odorants
33in natural gas, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
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