AB 1653: Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011.

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a)Commission-regulated gas pipeline facility means an intrastate gas pipeline facility facility, as defined in Section 60101 of Title 49 of the United States Code, that is subject to the safety regulatory authority of the commission to the extent authorized in the certification submitted by the commission and approved by the United States Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Section 60105 of Title 49 of the United States Code, including each of the following pipelines:

(1)An intrastate distribution line, which is a pipeline that is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to Section 717(b) of Title 15 of the United States Code because it is used for the local distribution of natural gas.

(2)An intrastate transmission line, which is a transmission pipeline that the commission, pursuant to Section 717(c) of Title 15 of the United States Code, has certified to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as being subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the commission over rates and service. For these purposes, a transmission pipeline means a pipeline other than a gathering line that: (A) transports gas from a gathering line or storage facility to a distribution center, storage facility, or large volume customer that is not downstream from a distribution center, (B) operates at a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of specified minimum yield strength, or (C) transports gas within a storage field.

(3)An intrastate gathering line, which is a pipeline that transports gas from a current production facility to a transmission line or main.

(4)A mobilehome park master-metered natural gas distribution system that is subject to the commissions safety inspection and enforcement program pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4351) of Division 2.

(5)A propane distribution system that is subject to the commissions safety inspection and enforcement program pursuant to Chapter 4.1 (commencing with Section 4451) of Division 2.

(b)Compatible emergency response standards means emergency response standards that are applicable to intrastate transmission and distribution lines that are in addition to, or more stringent than, the minimum safety standards adopted by the United States Department of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 601 (commencing with Section 60101) of Subtitle VIII of Title 49 of the United States Code and that the commission is authorized to adopt pursuant to Section 60104(c) of that chapter.

(c)High consequence area has the same meaning as defined in the regulations adopted by the United States Department of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 601 (commencing with Section 60101) of Subtitle VIII of Title 49 of the United States Code (49 C.F.R. 192.903, as adopted January 1, 2011, or a successor regulation).