State California PRC Sec 8750-8760 OIL SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE SECTION 8750-8760 8750. Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions govern the construction of this division: (a) "Administrator" means the administrator for oil spill response appointed by the Governor pursuant to Section 8670.4 of the Government Code. (b) "Barges" means any vessel that carries oil in commercial quantities as cargo but is not equipped with a means of self-propulsion. (c) (1) "Best achievable protection" means the highest level of protection which can be achieved through both the use of the best achievable technology and those manpower levels, training procedures, and operational methods which provide the greatest degree of protection achievable. The administrator's determination of best achievable protection shall be guided by the critical need to protect valuable coastal resources and marine waters, while also considering (A) the protection provided by the measures, (B) the technological achievability of the measures, and (C) the cost of the measures. (2) It is not the intent of the Legislature that the administrator use a cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis or any particular method of analysis in determining which measures to require. Instead, it is the intent of the Legislature that the administrator give reasonable consideration to the protection provided by the measures, the technological achievability of the measures, and the cost of the measures when establishing the requirements to provide the best achievable protection for coastal and marine resources. (d) "Best achievable technology" means that technology which provides the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration (1) processes which are being developed, or could feasibly be developed anywhere in the world, given overall reasonable expenditures on research and development, and (2) processes which are currently in use anywhere in the world. In determining what is best achievable technology, the administrator shall consider the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of the technology. (e) "Commission" means the State Lands Commission. (f) "Local government" means any chartered or general law city, chartered or general law county or any city and county. (g) "Marine facility" means any facility of any kind, other than a vessel, which is or was used for the purposes of exploring for, drilling for, producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, refining, or transporting oil and is located in marine waters, or is located where a discharge could impact marine waters unless the facility (1) is subject to Chapter 6.67 (commencing with Section 25270) or Chapter 6.75 (commencing with Section 25299.10) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code or (2) is placed on a farm, nursery, logging site, or construction site and does not exceed 20,000 gallons in a single storage tank. For the purposes of this division, a drill ship, semisubmersible drilling platform, jack-up type drilling rig, or any other floating or temporary drilling platform is a "marine facility." For the purposes of this division, a small craft refueling dock is not a "marine facility." (h) "Marine terminal" means any marine facility used for transferring oil to or from tankers or barges. For the purposes of this section, a marine terminal includes all piping not integrally connected to a tank facility as defined in subdivision (k) of Section 25270.2 of the Health and Safety Code. (i) "Marine waters" means those waters subject to tidal influence, except for waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers and Delta upstream from a line running north and south through the point where Contra Costa, Sacramento, and Solano Counties meet. (j) "Nonpersistent oil" means a petroleum-based oil, such as gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel, which evaporates relatively quickly. Specifically, it is an oil with hydrocarbon fractions, at least 50 percent of which, by volume, distills at a temperature of 645 degrees Fahrenheit, and at least 95 percent of which, by volume, distills at a temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit. (k) "Oil" means any kind of petroleum, liquid hydrocarbons, or petroleum products or any fraction or residues therefrom, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bunker fuel, gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, oil sludge, oil refuse, oil mixed with waste, and liquid distillates from unprocessed natural gas. (l) "Onshore facility" means any facility of any kind which is located entirely on lands not covered by marine waters. (m) "Operator" when used in connection with vessels, marine terminals, pipelines, or facilities, means any person or entity which owns, has an ownership interest in, charters, leases, rents, operates, participates in the operation of or uses that vessel, terminal, pipeline, or facility. "Operator" does not include any entity which owns the land underlying the facility or the facility itself, where the entity is not involved in the operations of the facility. (n) "Person" means an 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. (o) "Pipeline" means any pipeline used at any time to transport oil. (p) "Responsible party" or "party responsible" means either of the following: (1) The owner or transporter of oil or a person or entity accepting responsibility for the oil. (2) The owner, operator, or lessee of, or person who charters by demise, any vessel or marine facility or a person or entity accepting responsibility for the vessel or marine facility. (q) "Small craft refueling dock" means a fixed facility having tank storage capacity not exceeding 20,000 gallons in any single storage tank and that dispenses nonpersistent oil to small craft. (r) "Spill" or "discharge" means any release of at least one barrel (42 gallons) of oil not authorized by any federal, state, or local government entity. (s) "State oil spill contingency plan" means the California oil spill contingency plan prepared pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 8574.1) of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (t) "Tanker" means any self-propelled, waterborne vessel, constructed or adapted for the carriage of oil in bulk or in commercial quantities as cargo. (u) "Vessel" means a tanker or barge as defined in this section. 8751. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this division shall be applicable to all terminals, pipelines, facilities, vessels, and activities in the state, whether on lands that have been legislatively granted to local governments or on lands which remain ungranted. 8752. No tanker or barge may use any marine facility in the state unless the tanker or barge is in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations governing equipment, personnel, construction, financial responsibility, and operations relating to the prevention of oil spills. 8753. All rules, regulations, and guidelines required pursuant to this chapter shall be adopted by January 1, 1992. 8754. (a) The administrator may prohibit an owner or operator of a marine terminal from delivering or accepting oil to or from any tanker or barge if the administrator finds, after noticed hearing, that the owner or operator has violated this chapter and that previous convictions, judgments, or settlements for those violations occurred during the prior three years and meet all of the following criteria: (1) The violations have not been corrected or reasonable progress toward correction has not been achieved. (2) The violations demonstrate a recurring pattern of noncompliance. (3) The violations pose, or have posed, a significant risk to public health and safety or to the environment. (b) The administrator shall not order the termination of operations pursuant to subdivision (a) if the decision to deny is based, in whole or in part, on violations that were resolved through a settlement, unless the administrator presents substantial evidence proving that the violations did occur and the applicant is then given the opportunity to rebut the evidence of the administrator. (c) The administrator may allow terminals to resume transfers to and from the tankers or barges described if, after noticed hearing, the administrator is satisfied that the owner or operator has corrected all violations and will comply with all of the provisions of this division. 8755. (a) The administrator and the executive officer of the commission shall confer and propose, and the commission shall adopt, rules, regulations, guidelines, and commission leasing policies for reviewing the location, type, character, performance standards, size, and operation of all existing and proposed marine terminals within the state, whether or not on lands leased from the commission, and all other marine facilities on lands under lease from the commission to minimize the possibilities of a discharge of oil. Rules, regulations, and guidelines adopted by the commission shall not conflict with regulations of the administrator or the Coast Guard. The commission shall ensure that the rules, regulations, guidelines, and commission lease covenants provide the best achievable protection of public health and safety and the environment. Any rules, regulations, and guidelines governing the location of a marine terminal on lands under lease from a local government or port district shall not include provisions for review by the commission of any specific location, provided the location chosen or approved by the local government meets standards specified in the rules, regulations, and guidelines. (b) This section shall not apply to any aboveground oil storage tank located entirely onshore which is subject to inspection programs and regulation under Chapter 6.67 (commencing with Section 25270) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code. This section shall include pipelines that are within or part of marine terminals. This section shall not apply to pipelines that are used exclusively to transport petroleum products and are subject to the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal under either state or federal law. (c) The commission shall consult with the administrator, the State Interagency Oil Spill Committee, and other affected local and federal agencies with respect to the rules, regulations, and guidelines. The consultation with the administrator shall ensure, at a minimum, consistency with the requirements for vessels that the administrator adopts under Section 8670.17 of the Government Code. 8756. The commission shall periodically review and accordingly modify its rules, regulations, guidelines, and commission leasing policies to ensure that all operators of marine terminals within the state and marine facilities under the commission's jurisdiction always provide the best achievable protection of the public health and safety, and the environment. This section shall not apply to pipelines that are used exclusively to transport petroleum products and are subject to the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal under either state or federal law. 8757. (a) The commission shall inspect or cause to be inspected, on a regular basis, all marine facilities, along with associated equipment and shall monitor their operations and the effects on public health, safety, and the environment. These inspection and monitoring activities shall, to the greatest extent possible, be coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies having lawful jurisdiction. The commission shall maintain a record of these activities for each marine facility. (b) Any such inspection conducted under this chapter shall be coordinated to the maximum extent with other state, federal, and local agencies. The commission is specifically encouraged to enter into agreements that would permit other agencies with existing inspection programs, including, but not limited to, the Division of Oil and Gas, the California Coastal Commission, and the State Water Resources Control Board, to conduct the inspections required in this chapter. This section does not apply to pipelines that are used exclusively to transport petroleum products and are subject to the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal under either state or federal law. 8758. (a) Each operator of a marine facility shall prepare an operations manual describing equipment and procedures which the operator employs or will employ to protect public health and safety, and the environment and to prevent oil spills. The operations manual shall also describe equipment and procedures required for all vessels to or from which oil is transferred through use of the marine facility. The operations manual shall be submitted for approval to the commission. (b) Every existing operator shall submit a manual within one year after the commission has adopted a program of rules, regulations, and guidelines as specified in this section. (c) The commission shall approve the operations manual if the manual meets the governing rules, regulations, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (b). The commission shall deny approval of the operations manual if the commission finds the operations manual is not consistent with the rules, regulations, and guidelines. If the commission denies approval, it shall provide written reasons for its decision. The operator shall, within 90 days, submit a new manual responding to the reason for refusal and incorporating any suggested modifications. (d) The operations manual shall be updated as necessary pursuant to the findings in the hazards and operability study or as when facility operations or technology change. (e) The commission may require modification of the operations manual of any operator within its jurisdiction if the commission finds that the manual is no longer consistent with the rules, regulations, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision (b). (f) Once an operator's operations manual has been approved, all equipment and operations of the operator's marine facility shall be maintained or be carried out in accordance with the operations manual. (g) All vessels docked at any marine facility in the state shall comply with the terms of the operations manual of the marine facility. (h) The commission shall report to the administrator each marine facility whose operations manual is denied after the second submission. Failure to gain approval after the second submission may be determined by the administrator to be a violation of Chapter 7.4 (commencing with Section 8670.1) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The administrator shall take any action he or she determines to be necessary. (i) This section does not apply to pipelines that are used exclusively to transport petroleum products and are subject to the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal under either state or federal law. 8759. The commission shall be reimbursed from the Oil Spill Prevention and Administration Fund for reasonable expenses undertaken under this division. 8760. The commission shall consult with the administrator, other state agencies, and agencies of the federal government, such as the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation, to the maximum extent feasible, before undertaking actions pursuant to this division.