AB 1905, as introduced, Wilk. Natural gas injection and storage: study.
Under existing law, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, stimulation, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to complete an independent scientific study on well stimulation treatments, as specified.
The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, on or before July 1, 2017, to cause to be conducted, and completed, an independent scientific study on natural gas injection and storage practices and 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:
Section 3270.7 is added to the Public Resources
2Code, to read:
On or before July 1, 2017, the Secretary of the Natural
4Resources Agency shall cause to be conducted, and completed, an
5independent scientific study on natural gas injection and storage
6practices and facilities. The scientific study shall evaluate the
7hazards and risks and potential hazards and risks that natural gas
8injection and storage pose to natural resources and public,
9occupational, and environmental health and safety. The scientific
10study shall do all of the following:
11(a) Follow the well-established standard protocols of the
12scientific profession, including, but not limited to, the use of
13recognized experts, peer review, and publication.
14(b) (1) Identify and evaluate well
construction standards and
15operation techniques for both existing injection wells and for newly
16drilled injection wells.
17(2) Determine the average age of injection wells at gas storage
18facilities in the state and evaluate whether the construction
19standards used in aging wells are adequate to continue to protect
20public and environmental health and safety.
21(c) Identify the proximity of existing natural gas storage facilities
22in the state to population centers and the risks posed by those
23facilities to nearby populations.
24(d) (1) Identify the chemicals currently used as odorants at
25natural gas storage facilities in the state and the public health and
26environmental risks posed by those odorants.
27(2) Evaluate potential alternatives to
the odorants currently in
28use to determine if there are any feasible alternative odorants that
29pose a lower risk to public and environmental health.
30(e) Evaluate the current state regulatory structure for natural
31gas injection and storage facilities and recommend measures that
32would better protect public and environmental health and safety
33while still maintaining energy reliability.
34(f) Clearly identify where additional information is necessary
35to inform and improve the analyses.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
37immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
P3 1the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
2immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
3Due to a currently ongoing leak of primarily methane, a potent
4greenhouse gas, from the Southern California Gas Company Aliso
5Canyon SS-25 well that began on October 23, 2015, the unknown
6effects on the community of and surrounding Porter Ranch must
7be studied at the earliest possible time, independent from Southern
8California Gas Company and in order to prevent future harm from
9similar events, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
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