(a) Every rupture, explosion, or fire involving a pipeline, including a pipeline system otherwise exempted by subdivision (a) of Section 51010.5, and including a pipeline undergoing testing, shall be immediately reported by the pipeline operator to the fire department having fire suppression responsibilities and to the California Emergency Management Agency.
(b) (1) The Office of Emergency Services shall immediately notify the State Fire Marshal of the incident, who shall immediately dispatch State Fire Marshal employees to the scene. The State Fire Marshal or the employees, upon arrival, shall provide technical expertise and advise the operator and all public agencies on activities needed to mitigate the hazard.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the Legislature does not intend to hinder or disrupt the workings of the “incident commander system,” but does intend to establish a recognized element of expertise and direction for the incident command to consult and acknowledge as an authority on the subject of pipeline incident mitigation. Furthermore, it is expected that the State Fire Marshal will recognize the expertise of the pipeline operator and any other emergency agency personnel who may be familiar with the particular location of the incident and respect their knowledgeable input regarding the mitigation of the incident.
(c) For purposes of this section, “rupture” includes every unintentional liquid leak, including any leak that occurs during hydrostatic testing, except that a crude oil leak of less than five barrels from a pipeline or flow line in a rural area, or any crude oil or petroleum product leak in any in-plant piping system of less than five barrels, when no fire, explosion, or bodily injury results or no waterway is contaminated thereby, does not constitute a rupture for purposes of the reporting requirements of subdivision (a).
(d) This section does not preempt any other applicable federal or state reporting requirement.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this section and Section 8589.7, a notification made pursuant to this section shall satisfy any immediate notification requirement contained in any permit issued by a permitting agency.
(f) This section does not apply to pipeline ruptures involving nonreportable crude oil spills under Section 3233 of the Public Resources Code, unless the spill involves a fire or explosion.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 356, Sec. 7. (SB 96) Effective September 26, 2013.)
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