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SB-463 Natural gas storage wells: well stimulation treatments: chemical composition: leaks: regulation.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 10/14/2019 09:00 PM
SB463:v94#DOCUMENT

Senate Bill No. 463
CHAPTER 773

An act to amend Sections 3160 and 3183 of, and to add Sections 3181.5 and 3186.3 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to natural gas storage wells.

[ Approved by Governor  October 12, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  October 12, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 463, Stern. Natural gas storage wells: well stimulation treatments: chemical composition: leaks: regulation.
(1) 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 an operator proposing to perform a well stimulation treatment on a well to apply to the State Oil and Gas Supervisor or a district deputy for a permit to perform the well stimulation treatment and imposes other requirements and conditions on the use of well stimulation treatments. Under existing law, a person who fails to comply with this and other requirements relating to the regulation of oil or gas operations is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law does not apply these provisions to well stimulation treatments that are used for routine maintenance of wells associated with underground storage facilities where natural gas is injected into and withdrawn from depleted or partially depleted oil or gas reservoirs.
This bill would delete the exclusion of well stimulation treatments that are used for routine maintenance of wells associated with underground storage facilities where natural gas is injected into and withdrawn from depleted or partially depleted oil or gas reservoirs from the applicability of the provisions described above. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Existing law requires the operator of a gas storage well, as defined, to submit a risk management plan to identify and plan for mitigation of all threats and hazards and potential threats and hazards associated with gas storage well operation in order to ensure internal and external mechanical integrity of a well, including site-specific information, as specified. Existing law provides that a person who fails to comply with these requirements and other laws relating to the regulation of oil or gas operations is guilty of a misdemeanor.
This bill would require the operator of a gas storage well to provide to the division (A) a complete chemical inventory of the materials, of any phase, that may be emitted from the gas storage well in the event of a reportable leak described in (3) below, as specified, and (B), in the event of a reportable leak, the composition of well kill fluids within 5 days of their use in a leaking gas storage well and any updates to the provided information described in (A) to ensure that it is current. If an operator subject to these provisions is unable to obtain information about a chemical from the chemical’s supplier for any reason, including, but not limited to, assertion by the chemical supplier of trade secret protections, the bill would authorize the division to require the supplier to furnish that information to the division. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. In the event of a reportable leak, the bill would require the division to post the information related to the reportable leak received pursuant to these provisions on its internet website.
The bill would require, in response to the independent root cause analysis of the 2015 well leak at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility prepared by Blade Energy Partners dated May 16, 2019, and ordered by the supervisor and the Public Utilities Commission, the division, on or before July 1, 2021, to review and, if necessary, revise its natural gas storage well policy and regulations to address the root causes identified.
(3) Existing law requires the division to determine by regulation what constitutes a reportable leak from a gas storage well and the timeframe for reporting those leaks, as specified. Until the regulations are in effect, existing law requires the operator to notify the division immediately of a leak of any size from a gas storage well, and requires the division to post information about a reported leak that cannot be controlled within 48 hours on its internet website, as prescribed.
This bill would require the division, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, to review and, if necessary, revise the regulations developed pursuant to those provisions no less than once every 10 years.
(4) 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   Local Program: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) In October 2015, a gas storage well at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility failed and began to leak natural gas into the surrounding environment. The leak was not stopped until February 2016, resulting in the emission of over 100,000 tons of natural gas and other chemical species.
(b) Exposure to emissions from the gas storage facility during the leak resulted in a public health crisis with many people sickened and forcing thousands of people in the surrounding communities to relocate.
(c) All of the chemical species the surrounding communities were exposed to during the leak remain unknown.
(d) In its review of underground gas storage in this state, the California Council on Science and Technology made numerous recommendations to improve the oversight of these facilities. These include, among others, improved tracking and disclosure of the chemicals used in those facilities as well as the composition of the gas, including trace contaminants and components, in those facilities.
(e) Assessing the public health risks associated with an underground gas storage facility requires knowledge of all chemical species that the public, including sensitive subpopulations, may be exposed to.
(f) The independent third-party root cause analysis of the source of the leak released in May 2019 concluded that corrosion was the source of the wellbore failure and revealed shortcomings in the response to the leak. Review of existing regulations in consideration of this root cause analysis is warranted to help ensure that the communities surrounding the state’s underground gas storage facilities are protected from future leaks to the maximum extent possible.

SEC. 2.

 Section 3160 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

3160.
 (a) On or before January 1, 2015, the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall cause to be conducted, and completed, an independent scientific study on well stimulation treatments, including, but not limited to, hydraulic fracturing and acid well stimulation treatments. The scientific study shall evaluate the hazards and risks and potential hazards and risks that well stimulation treatments pose to natural resources and public, occupational, and environmental health and safety. The scientific study shall do all of the following:
(1) Follow the well-established standard protocols of the scientific profession, including, but not limited to, the use of recognized experts, peer review, and publication.
(2) Identify areas with existing and potential conventional and unconventional oil and gas reserves where well stimulation treatments are likely to spur or enable oil and gas exploration and production.
(3) (A) Evaluate all aspects and effects of well stimulation treatments, including, but not limited to, the well stimulation treatment, additive and water transportation to and from the well site, mixing and handling of the well stimulation treatment fluids and additives onsite, the use and potential for use of nontoxic additives and the use or reuse of treated or produced water in well stimulation treatment fluids, and flowback fluids and the handling, treatment, and disposal of flowback fluids and other materials, if any, generated by the treatment. Specifically, the potential for the use of recycled water in well stimulation treatments, including appropriate water quality requirements and available treatment technologies, shall be evaluated. Well stimulation treatments include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing and acid well stimulation treatments.
(B) Review and evaluate acid matrix stimulation treatments, including the range of acid volumes applied per treated foot and total acid volumes used in treatments, types of acids, acid concentration, and other chemicals used in the treatments.
(4) Consider, at a minimum, atmospheric emissions, including potential greenhouse gas emissions, the potential degradation of air quality, potential impacts on wildlife, native plants, and habitat, including habitat fragmentation, potential water and surface contamination, potential noise pollution, induced seismicity, and the ultimate disposition, transport, transformation, and toxicology of well stimulation treatments, including acid well stimulation fluids, hydraulic fracturing fluids, and waste hydraulic fracturing fluids and acid well stimulation in the environment.
(5) Identify and evaluate the geologic features present in the vicinity of a well, including the wellbore, that should be taken into consideration in the design of a proposed well stimulation treatment.
(6) Include a hazard assessment and risk analysis addressing occupational and environmental exposures to well stimulation treatments, including hydraulic fracturing treatments, hydraulic fracturing treatment-related processes, acid well stimulation treatments, acid well stimulation treatment-related processes, and the corresponding impacts on public health and safety with the participation of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
(7) Clearly identify where additional information is necessary to inform and improve the analyses.
(b) (1) (A) On or before January 1, 2015, the division, in consultation with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Air Resources Board, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and any local air districts and regional water quality control boards in areas where well stimulation treatments, including acid well stimulation treatments and hydraulic fracturing treatments, may occur, shall adopt rules and regulations specific to well stimulation treatments. The rules and regulations shall include, but are not limited to, revisions, as needed, to the rules and regulations governing construction of wells and well casings to ensure integrity of wells, well casings, and the geologic and hydrologic isolation of the oil and gas formation during and following well stimulation treatments, and full disclosure of the composition and disposition of well stimulation fluids, including, but not limited to, hydraulic fracturing fluids, acid well stimulation fluids, and flowback fluids.
(B) The rules and regulations shall additionally include provisions for an independent entity or person to perform the notification requirements pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (d), for the operator to provide for baseline and followup water testing upon request as specified in paragraph (7) of subdivision (d).
(C) (i) In order to identify the acid matrix stimulation treatments that are subject to this section, the rules and regulations shall establish threshold values for acid volume applied per treated foot of any individual stage of the well or for total acid volume of the treatment, or both, based upon a quantitative assessment of the risks posed by acid matrix stimulation treatments that exceed the specified threshold value or values in order to prevent, as far as possible, damage to life, health, property, and natural resources pursuant to Section 3106.
(ii) On or before January 1, 2020, the division shall review and evaluate the threshold values for acid volume applied per treated foot and total acid volume of the treatment, based upon data collected in the state, for acid matrix stimulation treatments. The division shall revise the values through the regulatory process, if necessary, based upon the best available scientific information, including the results of the independent scientific study pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).
(2) Full disclosure of the composition and disposition of well stimulation fluids, including, but not limited to, hydraulic fracturing fluids and acid stimulation treatment fluids, shall, at a minimum, include:
(A) The date of the well stimulation treatment.
(B) A complete list of the names, Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers, and maximum concentration, in percent by mass, of each and every chemical constituent of the well stimulation treatment fluids used. If a CAS number does not exist for a chemical constituent, the well owner or operator may provide another unique identifier, if available.
(C) The trade name, the supplier, concentration, and a brief description of the intended purpose of each additive contained in the well stimulation treatment fluid.
(D) The total volume of base fluid used during the well stimulation treatment, and the identification of whether the base fluid is water suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes, water not suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes, or a fluid other than water.
(E) The source, volume, and specific composition and disposition of all water, including, but not limited to, all water used as base fluid during the well stimulation treatment and recovered from the well following the well stimulation treatment that is not otherwise reported as produced water pursuant to Section 3227. Any repeated reuse of treated or untreated water for well stimulation treatments and well stimulation treatment-related activities shall be identified.
(F) The specific composition and disposition of all well stimulation treatment fluids, including waste fluids, other than water.
(G) Any radiological components or tracers injected into the well as part of, or in order to evaluate, the well stimulation treatment, a description of the recovery method, if any, for those components or tracers, the recovery rate, and specific disposal information for recovered components or tracers.
(H) The radioactivity of the recovered well stimulation fluids.
(I) The location of the portion of the well subject to the well stimulation treatment and the extent of the fracturing or other modification, if any, surrounding the well induced by the treatment.
(c) (1) Through the consultation process described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), the division shall collaboratively identify and delineate the existing statutory authority and regulatory responsibility relating to well stimulation treatments and well stimulation treatment-related activities of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Air Resources Board, any local air districts, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, any regional water quality control board, and other public entities, as applicable. This shall specify how the respective authority, responsibility, and notification and reporting requirements associated with well stimulation treatments and well stimulation treatment-related activities are divided among each public entity.
(2) On or before January 1, 2015, the division shall enter into formal agreements with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Air Resources Board, any local air districts where well stimulation treatments may occur, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and any regional water quality control board where well stimulation treatments may occur, clearly delineating respective authority, responsibility, and notification and reporting requirements associated with well stimulation treatments and well stimulation treatment-related activities, including air and water quality monitoring, in order to promote regulatory transparency and accountability.
(3) The agreements under paragraph (2) shall specify the appropriate public entity responsible for air and water quality monitoring and the safe and lawful disposal of materials in landfills, include trade secret handling protocols, if necessary, and provide for ready public access to information related to well stimulation treatments and related activities.
(4) Regulations, if necessary, shall be revised appropriately to incorporate the agreements under paragraph (2).
(d) (1) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, before performing a well stimulation treatment on a well, the operator shall apply for a permit to perform a well stimulation treatment with the supervisor or district deputy. The well stimulation treatment permit application shall contain the pertinent data the supervisor requires on printed forms supplied by the division or on other forms acceptable to the supervisor. The information provided in the well stimulation treatment permit application shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(A) The well identification number and location.
(B) The time period during which the well stimulation treatment is planned to occur.
(C) A water management plan that shall include all of the following:
(i) An estimate of the amount of water to be used in the treatment. Estimates of water to be recycled following the well stimulation treatment may be included.
(ii) The anticipated source of the water to be used in the treatment.
(iii) The disposal method identified for the recovered water in the flowback fluid from the treatment that is not produced water included in the statement pursuant to Section 3227.
(D) A complete list of the names, Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers, and estimated concentrations, in percent by mass, of each and every chemical constituent of the well stimulation fluids anticipated to be used in the treatment. If a CAS number does not exist for a chemical constituent, the well owner or operator may provide another unique identifier, if available.
(E) The planned location of the well stimulation treatment on the wellbore, the estimated length, height, and direction of the induced fractures or other planned modification, if any, and the location of existing wells, including plugged and abandoned wells, that may be impacted by these fractures and modifications.
(F) A groundwater monitoring plan. Required groundwater monitoring in the vicinity of the well subject to the well stimulation treatment shall be satisfied by one of the following:
(i) The well is located within the boundaries of an existing oil or gas field-specific or regional monitoring program developed pursuant to Section 10783 of the Water Code.
(ii) The well is located within the boundaries of an existing oil or gas field-specific or regional monitoring program developed and implemented by the well owner or operator meeting the model criteria established pursuant to Section 10783 of the Water Code.
(iii) Through a well-specific monitoring plan implemented by the owner or operator meeting the model criteria established pursuant to Section 10783 of the Water Code, and submitted to the appropriate regional water board for review.
(G) The estimated amount of treatment-generated waste materials that are not reported in subparagraph (C) and an identified disposal method for the waste materials.
(2) (A) At the supervisor’s discretion, and if applied for concurrently, the well stimulation treatment permit described in this section may be combined with the well drilling and related operation notice of intent required pursuant to Section 3203 into a single combined authorization. The portion of the combined authorization applicable to well stimulation shall meet all of the requirements of a well stimulation treatment permit pursuant to this section.
(B) The time period available for approval of the combined authorization applicable to well stimulation is subject to the terms of this section, and not Section 3203.
(3) (A) The supervisor or district deputy shall review the well stimulation treatment permit application and may approve the permit if the application is complete. An incomplete application shall not be approved.
(B) A well stimulation treatment or repeat well stimulation treatment shall not be performed on any well without a valid permit that the supervisor or district deputy has approved.
(C) In considering the permit application, the supervisor shall evaluate the quantifiable risk of the well stimulation treatment.
(D) In the absence of state implementation of a regional groundwater monitoring program pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 10783 of the Water Code, the supervisor or district deputy may approve a permit application for well stimulation treatment pursuant to subparagraph (A) before the approval by the State Water Resources Control Board or a regional water quality control board of an area-specific groundwater monitoring program developed by an owner or operator pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 10783 of the Water Code, but the well stimulation treatment shall not commence until the state board or the regional water board approves the area-specific groundwater monitoring program.
(4) The well stimulation treatment permit shall expire one year from the date that the permit is issued.
(5) Within five business days of issuing a permit to perform a well stimulation treatment, the division shall provide a copy of the permit to the appropriate regional water quality control board or boards and to the local planning entity where the well, including its subsurface portion, is located. The division shall also post the permit on the publicly accessible portion of its internet website within five business days of issuing a permit.
(6) (A) It is the policy of the state that a copy of the approved well stimulation treatment permit and information on the available water sampling and testing be provided to every tenant of the surface property and every surface property owner or authorized agent of that owner whose property line location is one of the following:
(i) Within a 1,500 foot radius of the wellhead.
(ii) Within 500 feet from the horizontal projection of all subsurface portions of the designated well to the surface.
(B) (i) The well owner or operator shall identify the area requiring notification and shall contract with an independent entity or person who is responsible for, and shall perform, the notification required pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(ii) The independent entity or person shall identify the individuals notified, the method of notification, the date of the notification, a list of those notified, and shall provide a list of this information to the division.
(iii) The performance of the independent entity or persons shall be subject to review and audit by the division.
(C) A well stimulation treatment shall not commence before 30 calendar days after the permit copies pursuant to subparagraph (A) are provided.
(7) (A) A property owner notified pursuant to paragraph (6) may request water quality sampling and testing from a designated qualified contractor on any water well suitable for drinking or irrigation purposes and on any surface water suitable for drinking or irrigation purposes as follows:
(i) Baseline measurements before the commencement of the well stimulation treatment.
(ii) Followup measurements after the well stimulation treatment on the same schedule as the pressure testing of the well casing of the treated well.
(B) The State Water Resources Control Board shall designate one or more qualified independent third-party contractor or contractors that adhere to board-specified standards and protocols to perform the water sampling and testing. The well owner or operator shall pay for the sampling and testing. The sampling and testing performed shall be subject to audit and review by the State Water Resources Control Board or applicable regional water quality control board, as appropriate.
(C) The results of the water testing shall be provided to the division, appropriate regional water board, and the property owner or authorized agent. A tenant notified pursuant to paragraph (6) shall receive information on the results of the water testing to the extent authorized by the tenant’s lease and, where the tenant has lawful use of the ground or surface water identified in subparagraph (A), the tenant may independently contract for similar groundwater or surface water testing.
(8) The division shall retain a list of the entities and property owners notified pursuant to paragraphs (5) and (6).
(9) The operator shall provide notice to the division at least 72 hours before the actual start of the well stimulation treatment in order for the division to witness the treatment.
(e) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall notify the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Chairs of the Assembly Natural Resources, Senate Environmental Quality, and Senate Natural Resources and Water Committees on the progress of the independent scientific study on well stimulation and related activities. The first progress report shall be provided to the committees on or before April 1, 2014, and progress reports shall continue every four months thereafter until the independent study is completed, including a peer review of the study by independent scientific experts.
(f) If a well stimulation treatment is performed on a well, a supplier that performs any part of the stimulation or provides additives directly to the operator for a well stimulation treatment shall furnish the operator with information suitable for public disclosure needed for the operator to comply with subdivision (g). This information shall be provided as soon as possible but no later than 30 days following the conclusion of the well stimulation treatment.
(g) Within 60 days following cessation of a well stimulation treatment on a well, the operator shall post or cause to have posted to an internet website designated or maintained by the division and accessible to the public all of the well stimulation fluid composition and disposition information required to be collected pursuant to rules and regulations adopted under subdivision (b), including well identification number and location. This shall include the collected water quality data, which the operator shall report electronically to the State Water Resources Control Board.
(h) The operator is responsible for compliance with this section.
(i) (1) All geologic features within a distance reflecting an appropriate safety factor of the fracture zone for well stimulation treatments that fracture the formation and that have the potential to either limit or facilitate the migration of fluids outside of the fracture zone shall be identified and added to the well history. Geologic features include seismic faults identified by the California Geologic Survey.
(2) For purposes of this section, the “fracture zone” is defined as the volume surrounding the wellbore where fractures were created or enhanced by the well stimulation treatment. The safety factor shall be at least five and may vary depending upon geologic knowledge.
(3) The division shall review the geologic features important to assessing well stimulation treatments identified in the independent study pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a). Upon completion of the review, the division shall revise the regulations governing the reporting of geologic features pursuant to this subdivision accordingly.
(j) (1) Public disclosure of well stimulation treatment fluid information claimed to contain trade secrets is governed by Section 1060 of the Evidence Code, or the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (Title 5 (commencing with Section 3426) of Part 1 of Division 4 of the Civil Code), and the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(2) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, none of the following information shall be protected as a trade secret:
(A) The identities of the chemical constituents of additives, including CAS identification numbers.
(B) The concentrations of the additives in the well stimulation treatment fluids.
(C) Any air or other pollution monitoring data.
(D) Health and safety data associated with well stimulation treatment fluids.
(E) The chemical composition of the flowback fluid.
(3) If a trade secret claim is invalid or invalidated, the division shall release the information to the public by revising the information released pursuant to subdivision (g). The supplier shall notify the division of any change in status within 30 days.
(4) (A) If a supplier believes that information regarding a chemical constituent of a well stimulation fluid is a trade secret, the supplier shall nevertheless disclose the information to the division in conjunction with a well stimulation treatment permit application, if not previously disclosed, within 30 days following cessation of a well stimulation on a well, and shall notify the division in writing of that belief.
(B) A trade secret claim shall not be made after initial disclosure of the information to the division.
(C) To comply with the public disclosure requirements of this section, the supplier shall indicate where trade secret information has been withheld and provide substitute information for public disclosure. The substitute information shall be a list, in any order, of the chemical constituents of the additive, including CAS identification numbers. The division shall review and approve the supplied substitute information.
(D) This subdivision does not permit a supplier to refuse to disclose the information required pursuant to this section to the division.
(5) In order to substantiate the trade secret claim, the supplier shall provide information to the division that shows all of the following:
(A) The extent to which the trade secret information is known by the supplier’s employees and others involved in the supplier’s business and outside the supplier’s business.
(B) The measures taken by the supplier to guard the secrecy of the trade secret information.
(C) The value of the trade secret information to the supplier and its competitors.
(D) The amount of effort or money the supplier expended developing the trade secret information and the ease or difficulty with which the trade secret information could be acquired or duplicated by others.
(6) If the division determines that the information provided in support of a request for trade secret protection pursuant to paragraph (5) is incomplete, the division shall notify the supplier and the supplier shall have 30 days to complete the submission. An incomplete submission does not meet the substantive criteria for trade secret designation.
(7) If the division determines that the information provided in support of a request for trade secret protection does not meet the substantive criteria for trade secret designation, the department shall notify the supplier by certified mail of its determination. The division shall release the information to the public, but not earlier than 60 days after the date of mailing the determination, unless, before the expiration of the 60-day period, the supplier obtains an action in an appropriate court for a declaratory judgment that the information is subject to protection or for a preliminary injunction prohibiting disclosure of the information to the public and provides notice to the division of the court order.
(8) The supplier is not required to disclose trade secret information to the operator.
(9) Upon receipt of a request for the release of trade secret information to the public, the following procedure applies:
(A) The division shall notify the supplier of the request in writing by certified mail, return receipt requested.
(B) The division shall release the information to the public, but not earlier than 60 days after the date of mailing the notice of the request for information, unless, before the expiration of the 60-day period, the supplier obtains an action in an appropriate court for a declaratory judgment that the information is subject to protection or for a preliminary injunction prohibiting disclosure of the information to the public and provides notice to the division of that action.
(10) The division shall develop a timely procedure to provide trade secret information in the following circumstances:
(A) To an officer or employee of the division, the state, local governments, including, but not limited to, local air districts, or the United States, in connection with the official duties of that officer or employee, to a health professional under any law for the protection of health, or to contractors with the division or other government entities and their employees if, in the opinion of the division, disclosure is necessary and required for the satisfactory performance of a contract, for performance of work, or to protect health and safety.
(B) To a health professional in the event of an emergency or to diagnose or treat a patient.
(C) In order to protect public health, to any health professional, toxicologist, or epidemiologist who is employed in the field of public health and who provides a written statement of need. The written statement of need shall include the public health purposes of the disclosure and shall explain the reason the disclosure of the specific chemical and its concentration is required.
(D) A health professional may share trade secret information with other persons as may be professionally necessary, in order to diagnose or treat a patient, including, but not limited to, the patient and other health professionals, subject to state and federal laws restricting disclosure of medical records including, but not limited to, Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 56.10) of Part 2.6 of Division 1 of the Civil Code.
(E) For purposes of this paragraph, “health professional” means any person licensed or certified pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code, the Osteopathic Initiative Act, the Chiropractic Initiative Act, or the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act (Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code).
(F) A person in possession of, or having access to, confidential trade secret information pursuant to this subdivision may disclose this information to any person who is authorized to receive it. A written confidentiality agreement shall not be required.
(k) A well granted confidential status pursuant to Section 3234 shall not be required to disclose well stimulation treatment fluid information pursuant to subdivision (g) until the confidential status of the well ceases. Notwithstanding the confidential status of a well, it is public information that a well will be or has been subject to a well stimulation treatment.
(l) The division shall perform random periodic spot check inspections to ensure that the information provided on well stimulation treatments is accurately reported, including that the estimates provided before the commencement of the well stimulation treatment are reasonably consistent with the well history.
(m) Where the division shares jurisdiction over a well or the well stimulation treatment on a well with a federal entity, the division’s rules and regulations shall apply in addition to all applicable federal laws and regulations.
(n) This article does not relieve the division or any other agency from complying with any other provision of existing laws, regulations, and orders.

SEC. 3.

 Section 3181.5 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

3181.5.
 (a) (1) The operator of a gas storage well shall provide to the division a complete chemical inventory of the materials, of any phase, that may be emitted from the gas storage well in the event of a reportable leak, as defined for purposes of Section 3183, periodically, as determined by the division, but no less than annually. For purposes of this section, material includes, but is not limited to, the composition of formation fluids, gas in the storage reservoir, wellbore-produced fluids, and all well maintenance and control materials, including well kill fluids, placed in the well. For purposes of this section, fluids include suspended or entrained solids.
(2) The division shall consider information collected pursuant to its existing regulations when determining what information satisfies the requirements of this section.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in the event of a reportable leak, as defined for purposes of Section 3183, the operator of a gas storage well shall provide to the division the composition of well kill fluids within five days of their use in a leaking gas storage well and any updates to the information reported pursuant to subdivision (a) to ensure that it is current.
(c) The information provided pursuant to this section shall be provided with sufficient accuracy and precision as determined by the division, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and other relevant health experts, to inform the determination of public health impacts from the release of these materials to the environment.
(d) If an operator subject to this section is unable to obtain information about a chemical from the chemical’s supplier for any reason, including, but not limited to, assertion by the chemical supplier of trade secret protections, the division may require the supplier to furnish that information to the division.
(e) In the event of a reportable leak, as defined for purposes of Section 3183, the division shall post the information related to the reportable leak received pursuant to this section on its internet website.

SEC. 4.

 Section 3183 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

3183.
 (a) The division, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall determine and adopt by regulation what constitutes a reportable leak from a gas storage well and the timeframe for reporting that leak. The regulations shall require an operator to immediately report to the division a leak that poses a significant present or potential hazard to public health and safety, property, or to the environment.
(b) Until the regulations pursuant to subdivision (a) are in effect, a leak of any size from a gas storage well shall be deemed a reportable leak, and the operator shall notify the division immediately.
(c) If a leak from a gas storage well that is reported to the division pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), as applicable, cannot be controlled within 48 hours, the division shall post information about the leak on its internet website and provide regular updates to the public until the leak is stopped.
(d) The division, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall review and, if necessary, revise the regulations developed pursuant to subdivision (a) no less than once every 10 years.

SEC. 5.

 Section 3186.3 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

3186.3.
 On or before July 1, 2021, in response to the independent root cause analysis of the 2015 well leak at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility prepared by Blade Energy Partners dated May 16, 2019, and ordered by the supervisor and the Public Utilities Commission, the division shall review and, if necessary, revise its natural gas storage well policy and regulations to address the root causes identified. At a minimum, the division shall evaluate and consider all of the following:
(a) Requirements for cathodic protection measures for well casings, where appropriate, on a well-by-well or field-by-field basis.
(b) Requirements for well control plans for a gas storage field, that include the range of flow properties possible in the event of an uncontrolled well release.
(c) Requirements for investigating leaks and other pressure equipment integrity incidents that present a risk of leaks as determined by the division. This shall include reporting requirements to the division.

SEC. 6.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only 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.