California Government Code 51015.2 – (a) The Legislature recognizes that hazardous liquid pipelines …
(a) The Legislature recognizes that hazardous liquid pipelines are often located alongside and in the immediate proximity of rail lines. In the event of a derailment, these pipelines may be damaged in such a fashion that their integrity is lost, making a rupture or leak more likely.
(b) In an effort to better protect public safety, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt regulations governing the construction, testing, operations, periodic inspection, and emergency operations of intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines located within 500 feet of any rail line. These regulations shall, at a minimum, include provisions dealing with the following:
Terms Used In California Government Code 51015.2
- Hydrostatic testing: means the application of internal pressure above the normal or maximum operating pressure to a segment of pipeline, under no-flow conditions for a fixed period of time, utilizing a liquid test medium. See California Government Code 51010.5
- Pipeline: includes every intrastate pipeline used for the transportation of hazardous liquid substances or highly volatile liquid substances, including a common carrier pipeline, and all piping containing those substances located within a refined products bulk loading facility that is owned by a common carrier and is served by a pipeline of that common carrier, and the common carrier owns and serves by pipeline at least five of these facilities in the state. See California Government Code 51010.5
- State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
(1) Minimum depth of cover for newly constructed or reconstructed pipelines.
(2) Minimum hydrostatic testing requirements for newly constructed pipelines.
(3) Minimum requirements for testing existing pipelines which may have been affected by a derailment.
(4) Minimum requirements for periodic inspections.
(5) Minimum requirements for installation and operation of safety or check valves.
(6) Procedures for developing, testing, approving, and implementing coordinated emergency contingency plans prepared by pipeline and rail operators. These procedures shall also provide for consultation with local affected agencies, and require pipeline and rail operations to develop and implement emergency training for their employees approved by the State Fire Marshal.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1252, Sec. 3.)