For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
apply:
(a) "Biogas" means gas that is produced from the anaerobic
decomposition of organic material.
(b) "Biomethane" means biogas that meets the standards adopted
pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 25421 for injection
into a common carrier pipeline.
(c) "Board" means the State Air Resources Board.
(d) "CalRecycle" means the Department of Resources Recycling and
Recovery.
(e) "Commission" means the Public Utilities Commission.
(f) "Common carrier pipeline" means a gas conveyance pipeline,
located in California, that is owned or operated by a utility or gas
corporation, excluding a dedicated pipeline.
(g) "Dedicated pipeline" means a conveyance of biogas or
biomethane that is not part of a common carrier pipeline system, and
which conveys biogas from a biogas producer to a conditioning
facility or an electrical generation facility.
(h) "Department" means the Department of Toxic Substances Control.
(i) "Gas corporation" has the same meaning as defined in Section
222 of the Public Utilities Code and is subject to rate regulation by
the commission.
(j) "Hazardous waste landfill" means a landfill that is a
hazardous waste facility, as defined in Section 25117.1.
(k) "Office" means the Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment.
(l) "Person" means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock
company, partnership, association, business concern, limited
liability company, or corporation. "Person" also includes any city,
county, district, and the state or any department or agency thereof,
or the federal government or any department or agency thereof to the
extent permitted by law.
(a) On or before May 15, 2013, all of the following shall be
completed:
(1) The office, in consultation with the board, the department,
CalRecycle, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, shall
compile a list of constituents of concern that could pose risks to
human health and that are found in biogas at concentrations that
significantly exceed the concentrations of those constituents in
natural gas. The office, in consultation with the board, the
department, CalRecycle, and the California Environmental Protection
Agency, shall update this list at least every five years.
(2) The office shall determine health protective levels for the
list of constituents of concern identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
In determining those health protective levels, the office shall
consider potential health impacts and risks, including, but not
limited to, health impacts and risks to utility workers and gas end
users. The office shall update these levels at least every five
years.
(3) The board shall identify realistic exposure scenarios and, in
consultation with the office, shall identify the health risks
associated with the exposure scenarios for the constituents of
concern identified by the office pursuant to paragraph (1). The board
shall update the exposure scenarios, and, in consultation with the
office, the health risks associated with the exposure scenarios, at
least every five years.
(4) Upon completion of the responsibilities required pursuant to
paragraphs (1) through (3), the board, in consultation with the
office, the department, CalRecycle, and the California Environmental
Protection Agency shall determine the appropriate concentrations of
constituents of concern. In determining those concentrations, the
board shall use the health protective levels identified pursuant to
paragraph (2) and the exposure scenarios identified pursuant to
paragraph (3). The concentrations shall be updated at least every
five years by the board in consultation with the office, the
department, CalRecycle, and the California Environmental Protection
Agency.
(5) The board, in consultation with the office, the department,
CalRecycle, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, shall
identify reasonable and prudent monitoring, testing, reporting, and
recordkeeping requirements, separately for each source of biogas,
that are sufficient to ensure compliance with the health protective
standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (d). The board, in
consultation with the office, the department, CalRecycle and the
California Environmental Protection Agency shall update the
monitoring, testing, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements at
least every five years.
(b) Actions taken pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not constitute
regulations and shall be exempt from the administrative regulations
and rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Division 2 of Title 2
of the Government Code).
(c) On or before December 31, 2013, for biomethane that is to be
injected into a common carrier pipeline, the commission shall, by
rule or order, adopt standards that specify, for constituents that
may be found in that biomethane, concentrations that are reasonably
necessary to ensure both of the following:
(1) The protection of human health. In making this specification,
the commission shall give due deference to the determinations of the
board pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a).
(2) Pipeline and pipeline facility integrity and safety.
(d) To ensure pipeline and pipeline facility integrity and safety,
on or before December 31, 2013, the commission, giving due deference
to the board's determinations, shall, by rule or order, adopt the
monitoring, testing, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements
identified pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a).
(e) Every five years, or earlier if new information becomes
available, the commission shall review and update the standards for
the protection of human health and pipeline integrity and safety
adopted pursuant to subdivision (c), as well as the monitoring,
testing, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements adopted pursuant
to subdivision (d).
(f) (1) A person shall not inject biogas into a common carrier
pipeline unless the biogas satisfies both the standards set by the
commission pursuant to subdivision (c), as well as the monitoring,
testing, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements of subdivision
(d).
(2) The commission shall require gas corporation tariffs to
condition access to common carrier pipelines on the applicable
customer meeting the standards and requirements adopted by the
commission pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d).
(g) (1) A person shall not knowingly sell, supply, or transport,
or knowingly cause to be sold, supplied, or transported, biogas
collected from a hazardous waste landfill to a gas corporation
through a common carrier pipeline.
(2) A gas corporation shall not knowingly purchase gas collected
from a hazardous waste landfill through a common carrier pipeline.