AB 1328 — Oil and gas: notice of intention to abandon well: study of fugitive emissions from idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells.

Summary

Under existing law, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the owner or operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence well abandonment with, and prohibits any abandonment until approval is given by, the State Oil and Gas Supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, the notice is deemed approved if the supervisor or district deputy fails to respond to the notice in writing within 10 working days from receipt and is deemed canceled if operations have not commenced within one year of receipt. This bill would extend the time period to commence abandonment operations from one year to 24 months before the notice is deemed canceled. Under existing law, any owner or operator of a well, or employee thereof, who refuses to permit the supervisor or the district deputy, or their inspector, to inspect a well, or who willfully hinders or delays the enforcement of provisions relating to the regulation of oil or gas operations, is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would require the division, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, to initiate a study to be conducted by independent experts of fugitive emissions from idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells in the state, as provided. The bill would require oil and gas operators with wells selected for purposes of sampling under these provisions to (1) make reasonable efforts to permit access to the wells to the division and the independent experts contracted to undertake the study if adequate notice is provided to the operator to ensure appropriate safety precautions are taken at the well site, and (2) submit to the division a certification stating that no action was taken to reduce emissions from the sampling site within 72 hours of the sampling taking place so as to reduce the value of measurements taken. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2022, to post all results of testing conducted pursuant to the study on the department's internet website in a machine-readable format. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2021, to produce and post an interim progress report describing the status of the study on the department's internet website. The bill would require the independent experts contracted to undertake the study, on or before July 1, 2022, to complete a written document that includes an executive summary of the findings, a description of the results, the findings, and an estimate of hydrocarbon emissions from the state's idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells, and would require, before public release, the written document to be provided for peer review and comments, to the operators whose wells were included in the sample, and to a group of independent experts and nongovernmental organizations selected by the division. The bill would require the division, on or before January 1, 2023, to make the results of the study, as per the required written document, available on its internet website. 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.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/12/19 - Chaptered Current pdf October 12, 2019
• Enrolled 09/18/19 - Enrolled pdf September 18, 2019
• Amended 09/06/19 - Amended Senate pdf September 06, 2019
• Amended 07/05/19 - Amended Senate pdf July 05, 2019
• Amended 06/13/19 - Amended Senate pdf June 13, 2019
• Amended 03/20/19 - Amended Assembly pdf March 20, 2019
• Introduced 02/22/19 - Introduced pdf February 22, 2019
• AB1328 View text html

Action History

1. October 12, 2019

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 772, Statutes of 2019.

2. October 12, 2019

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 19, 2019

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

4. September 12, 2019

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 6. Page 3513.).

5. September 11, 2019

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

6. September 11, 2019

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 33. Noes 4. Page 2816.).

7. September 09, 2019

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. September 06, 2019

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

9. August 30, 2019

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

10. August 30, 2019

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (August 30).

11. August 12, 2019

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

12. July 05, 2019

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

13. July 03, 2019

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 3).

14. June 25, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on EQ. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on EQ.

15. June 13, 2019

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W.

16. June 06, 2019

    Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and EQ.

17. May 24, 2019

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

18. May 23, 2019

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 47. Noes 24. Page 1890.)

19. May 20, 2019

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

20. May 16, 2019

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 5.) (May 16).

21. May 08, 2019

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

22. April 24, 2019

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

23. April 09, 2019

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

24. March 21, 2019

    Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

25. March 20, 2019

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.

26. March 11, 2019

    Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.

27. February 25, 2019

    Read first time.

28. February 23, 2019

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 25.

29. February 22, 2019

    Introduced. To print.

Sponsors

• Holden · Primary

Votes

Subjects