Chapter 1. General Provisions And Definitions of California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 24. >> Chapter 1.

This part shall be known and may be cited as the Oil Spill Response, Prevention, and Administration Fees Law.

(a) The board may adopt regulations relating to the administration and enforcement of this part pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
  (b) An emergency regulation adopted pursuant to amendments made to this part by Senate Bill 861 of the 2013-14 Regular Session shall be deemed an emergency and necessary to avoid serious harm to the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare for the purposes of Sections 11346.1 and 11349.6 of the Government Code, and the board is hereby exempt from the requirement that it describe facts showing the need for immediate action and from review by the Office of Administrative Law.

The collection and administration of the fees referred to in Sections 46051 and 46052 shall be governed by the definitions contained in Chapter 7.4 (commencing with Section 8670.1) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code and this part.

Except where the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this chapter govern the construction of this part.

The provisions of this part, insofar as they are substantially the same as existing provisions of law relating to the same subject matter, shall be construed as restatements and continuations and not as new enactments.

Any action or proceeding commenced before this part takes effect, or any right accrued, is not affected by this part, but all procedures taken shall conform to the provisions on this part as far as possible.

"Administrator" means the person appointed by the Governor pursuant to Section 8670.4 of the Government Code to implement the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (Chapter 7.4 (commencing with Section 8670.1) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

"Barges" means vessels that carry oil in commercial quantities as cargo but are not equipped with a means of self-propulsion.

"Barrel" means 42 gallons of crude oil or petroleum products.

"Board" means the State Board of Equalization.

"Crude oil" means petroleum in an unrefined or natural state, including condensate and natural gasoline, and including substances that enhance, cut, thin, or reduce viscosity.

(a) "Facility" means any of the following located in state waters or located where an oil spill may impact state waters:
  (1) A building, structure, installation, or equipment used in oil exploration, oil well drilling operations, oil production, oil refining, oil storage, oil gathering, oil processing, oil transfer, oil distribution, or oil transportation.
  (2) A marine terminal.
  (3) A pipeline that transports oil.
  (4) A railroad that transports oil as cargo.
  (5) A drill ship, semisubmersible drilling platform, jack-up type drilling rig, or any other floating or temporary drilling platform.
  (b) "Facility" does not include any of the following:
  (1) A vessel, except a vessel located and used for any purpose described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a).
  (2) An owner or operator subject to Chapter 6.67 (commencing with Section 25270) of or Chapter 6.75 (commencing with Section 25299.10) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (3) Operations on a farm, nursery, logging site, or construction site that are either of the following:
  (A) Do not exceed 20,000 gallons in a single storage tank.
  (B) Have a useable tank storage capacity not exceeding 75,000 gallons.
  (4) A small craft refueling dock.

"Designated amount" means an amount equal to one hundred nine million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($109,750,000), subject to the following:
  (a) Fifty-four million eight hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($54,875,000) shall be retained in the Oil Spill Response Trust Fund as cash.
  (b) Fifty-four million eight hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($54,875,000) shall be accessible in the Oil Spill Response Trust Fund in the form of financial security obtained by the Treasurer.

"Feepayer" means any person liable for the payment of a fee imposed by either Section 8670.40 or 8670.48 of the Government Code.

"Marine terminal" means any facility used for transferring crude oil or petroleum products to or from tankers or barges. For purposes of this part, a marine terminal includes all piping not integrally connected to a tank facility as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 25270.2 of the Health and Safety Code.

"Person" means any individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, or corporation, including, but not limited to, a government corporation, partnership, limited liability company, and association. "Person" also includes any city, county, city and county, district, and the state or any department or agency thereof, and the federal government, or any department or agency thereof, to the extent permitted by law.

"Petroleum products" means any liquid hydrocarbon at atmospheric temperature and pressure that is the product of the fractionation, distillation, or other refining or processing of crude oil and that is used as, useable as, or may be refined as, a fuel or fuel blendstock, including, but not limited to, gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, bunker fuel, and alcohol fuels containing petroleum products.

"Pipeline" means any pipeline used at any time to transport crude oil or petroleum products.

"Refinery" means a facility that refines crude oil, including condensate and natural gasoline, into petroleum products, lubricating oils, coke, or asphalt.

"State waters" or "waters of the state" means any surface water, including saline waters, marine waters, and freshwaters, within the boundaries of the state but does not include groundwater.

"Tanker" means a self-propelled vessel that is constructed or adapted for the carriage of oil in bulk or in commercial quantities as cargo.

"Vessel" means a tanker or barge as defined in this chapter.