Bill Text: CA AB1003 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1003 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Oil and gas: Underground Injection Control Program: exempt aquifers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1003 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1003-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1003

Introduced by Assembly Member Eggman

February 21, 2019

An act to amend Section 3132 of the Public Resources Code, relating to oil and gas.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1003, as introduced, Eggman. Oil and gas: Underground Injection Control Program: exempt aquifers.

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulates certain wells as Class II wells, as defined. Under existing federal law, the authority to regulate Class II wells in California is delegated to the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation. Under existing law, the division implements the Underground Injection Control Program pursuant to this federal delegation. The federal act prohibits certain well activities that affect underground sources of drinking water, unless those sources are located in an exempted aquifer. Existing federal law authorizes a state delegated with the responsibility of regulating Class II wells to propose that an aquifer or a portion of an aquifer be an exempted aquifer and authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency to approve the proposal if the aquifer or a portion of the aquifer meets certain criteria.

Existing law, until March 1, 2019, requires the division to notify the relevant policy committees of the Legislature before submitting a proposal for an exempted aquifer determination to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Commencing January 1, 2020, and until March 1, 2020, this bill would require the division to notify the relevant policy committees of the Legislature before submitting a proposal for an exempted aquifer determination to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 3132 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

3132.

(a) Before submitting the proposal for an exempted aquifer determination to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the division shall notify the relevant policy committees of the Legislature of the exemption proposal.

(b) This section shall become inoperative on March 1, ~~2019,~~ 2020, and, as of January 1, ~~2020,~~ 2021, is ~~repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is~~ repealed.