BILL NUMBER: AB 1501INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Rendon FEBRUARY 27, 2015 An act to add Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 42100) to Chapter 3 of Part 4 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 3160.5 to the Public Resources Code, relating to oil and gas. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1501, as introduced, Rendon. Well stimulation treatments: emissions. (1) Existing law authorizes the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation to regulate the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law generally vests the State Air Resources Board with the primary responsibility for the control of vehicular air pollution, and air pollution control and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. This bill would require an air district to establish an emission standard for methane from a well stimulation treatment, as defined, and to issue a permit to an owner or operator to enforce that standard. The bill also would require the emission standard to include requirements on the owner or operator to monitor the well stimulation treatment for methane leaks. By adding to the duties of air districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the state board or an air district, as appropriate, to install monitoring stations near any site approved by the division for a well stimulation treatment, as specified. By adding to the duties of air districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law makes a violation of any rule, regulation, or order of the state board or an air district a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 42100) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 4 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: Article 9.5. Well Stimulation Treatments 42100. For purposes of this article, "well stimulation treatment" has the same meaning as in Section 3157 of the Public Resources Code. 42105. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a district shall do both of the following: (1) Establish an emission standard for methane from a well stimulation treatment. (2) Issue a permit to an owner or operator to enforce the standard adopted pursuant to paragraph (1). (b) The emission standard adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include requirements on the owner or operator to monitor the well stimulation treatment for methane leaks. SEC. 2. Section 3160.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read: 3160.5. The State Air Resources Board or an air pollution control or air quality management district, as appropriate, shall install monitoring stations near any site approved by the division for a well stimulation treatment. A monitoring station shall be equipped to monitor for all of the following: (a) Acetaldehyde. (b) Acetone. (c) Alpha-Pinene. (d) Dichlorodifluoromethane. (e) Ethanol. (f) Ethyl acetate. (g) Isobutane. (h) Isoprene. (i) Methane. (j) N-Heptane. (k) N-Hexane. (l) Propane. (m) Toluene. (n) Trichlorofluoromethane. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a local agency or school district has the authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act or because costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.