AB 2623

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Under the Elder California Pipeline Safety Act of 1981, the State Fire Marshal exercises safety regulatory jurisdiction over intrastate pipelines used for the transportation of hazardous or highly volatile liquid substances. The act imposes various requirements in relation to the regulation of these intrastate pipelines. A person who willfully and knowingly violates the act or a regulation adopted pursuant to the act is, upon conviction, subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both a fine and imprisonment, as provided. This bill would expand the regulation of intrastate pipelines under the act to intrastate pipelines used for the transportation of carbon dioxide, by revising the definition of "pipeline" for purposes of the act to also include intrastate pipelines used for the transportation of carbon dioxide. The bill would require carbon dioxide transported in intrastate pipelines to be at a certain state and certain concentration and would prohibit the pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide that is not in that state or concentration. The bill would also require pipelines used for the transportation of carbon dioxide to be those specifically built for that purpose and would prohibit the use of pipelines for the transportation of carbon dioxide built to transport substances other than carbon dioxide. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to adopt safety-related regulations governing intrastate pipelines transporting carbon dioxide, as provided. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to require an operator of a pipeline transporting carbon dioxide to cease operation of the pipeline if the operator is found to be in violation of the above requirements and prohibitions or the safety-related regulations. Because a violation of the above requirements and prohibitions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt regulations for a unified permit application for the construction and operation of carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration project to expedite the issuance of permits or other authorizations for the construction and operation of those projects. This bill would require the unified permit application to ensure that carbon dioxide transported to or from an injection or sequestration site, or captured carbon dioxide transported to the point of use, be transported by specified methods. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.