BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Senator Wieckowski, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1904
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Author: |Wilk |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|-----------+-----------------------+-------------+----------------|
|Version: |6/23/2016 |Hearing |8/3/2016 |
| | |Date: | |
|-----------+-----------------------+-------------+----------------|
|Urgency: |Yes |Fiscal: |Yes |
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Consultant:|Rachel Machi Wagoner |
| | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJECT: Hazardous materials: natural gas odorants
ANALYSIS:
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:
1) Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA) to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before
January 1, 2019, that includes an assessment of any potential
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.
2) Requires the OEHHA to consult with appropriate entities, as
specified.
AB 1904 (Wilk) Page 2
of ?
3) Takes effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Background
Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility leak - a disaster. On October
23, 2016, the SoCalGas discovered a leak from a well at the
company's Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility. The Division of
Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) - the state agency
responsible for regulating Aliso Canyon's natural gas storage
wells - reports that it was informed of the leak soon after its
discovery. Other state and local agencies, as well as nearby
residents threatened by the leak, were notified sometime later.
For more than 100 days, the well continued to dump tons of
methane gas into the atmosphere, along with irritants and other
substances. According to the California Air Resources Board
(ARB), the leak emitted almost 100,000 tons of methane, a potent
greenhouse gas (GHG), adding approximately 20 percent to
statewide methane emissions over its duration. Many residents
from nearby Porter Ranch suffered noxious odors. Others reported
more serious health effects, including nose bleeds, rashes and
respiratory problems. Hundreds were relocated from their homes.
Despite assurances from public health agencies, many fear the
leak's long-term effects on health and wellbeing.
The investigation into the cause of the leak continues. The
Attorney General, ARB, the City of Los Angeles and the County of
Los Angeles have formally accused SoCalGas of violating
California laws. The California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC), which regulates the rates of SoCalGas, is considering
penalties against the gas company.
Comments
1) Purpose of Bill. According to the author, on October 23,
2015, the Southern California Gas Company reported a gas leak
at their Aliso Canyon facility affecting Porter Ranch and the
surrounding communities. The well that was the source of the
largest natural gas leak in recorded US history was sealed on
February 18, 2016.
The author states that the existing regulations set by the
AB 1904 (Wilk) Page 3
of ?
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board require any
stored natural gas to contain odorants that, among other
requirements, are nontoxic and harmless to humans. On its
own, natural gas is odorless and colorless so these chemicals
are added as a practice of safety in order to allow detection
of leaks by smell.
The odorants used at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility
are primarily tert-butyl mercaptan and tetrahydrothiophene.
Their distinctive, putrid smell can be noticed at
concentrations below levels that can be measured in air
samples. Even at these extremely low levels, the odor from
these sulfur-containing compounds can cause nausea and
headaches.
The author asserts that residents of the affected community
have widely reported debilitating headaches, bloody noses,
and nausea. State regulators and SoCalGas executives still
claim that odorants do not pose any long-term health
concerns.
2)Two bills for one problem. AB 1903, also authored by Assembly
Member Wilk, directs the CPUC to authorize and OEHHA to
undertake a study of the long-term health effect of the
natural gas leak from the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage
facility that occurred in 2015.
It is unclear why a separate bill with a separate mandate for
a separate study by OEHHA to assess any potential danger of
odorants is necessary. It would be more efficient and prudent
to include the provisions of this study into the requirements
of AB 1903.
Related/Prior Legislation
AB 1903 (Wilk, 2016) directs the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) to authorize and the Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to undertake a study of the
long-term health effect of the natural gas leak from the Aliso
Canyon natural gas storage facility that occurred in 2015. AB
1903 is awaiting hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SOURCE: Author
AB 1904 (Wilk) Page 4
of ?
SUPPORT:
Los Angeles Unified School District
OPPOSITION:
None received
-- END --