SB 1259: Refineries: decommissioning and remediation: cost estimates.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: Senate
Latest Version Date: 2026-07-02

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-07-02: From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (July 1).)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board (board) and the California regional water quality control boards which prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.

Existing law, the Petroleum Industry Information Reporting Act of 1980, requires refiners, as defined, to report monthly to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), for each of their refineries, specified information, and requires that any confidential information pertinent to the responsibilities of the commission, as provided, which is obtained by another state agency be available to the commission and be treated in a confidential manner.

This bill would require, no later than December 31, 2028, every refiner refiner, as defined for purposes of the bill, to submit to the board a retirement plan setting forth information concerning decommissioning and site remediation for every refinery it owns, operates, or controls, as provided. The bill would require the board, no later than 6 months following the submission of the retirement plan, to review the retirement plan, in consultation with the applicable regional water quality control board, for completeness and reasonableness and to make a determination as to whether the retirement plan complies with the requirements imposed by the bill. The bill would require the board, if it determines that the retirement plan complies with the bills requirements, to make the retirement plan available on the boards internet website for public comments for not less than 45 days. The bill would authorize the board to require further revisions to the retirement plan after the public comment period, as provided, before it is deemed final. The bill would require the board, once the board has determined that no further revisions are necessary, to promptly post the final retirement plan on its internet website.

This bill would require a refiner who gives notice of intent to permanently shut down, shut down to reconfigure, or sell a refinery in a transaction that may result in a refinery shutting down or reconfiguring, as provided, to submit either the required retirement plan, or, if a final retirement plan has been released, an update of the retirement plan within a specified timeframe, as provided. The bill would require, on or before December 31, 2027, the board to develop publicly provide an overview of the methods, costs, and timelines associated with soil and groundwater remediation that have been employed at refineries that have undergone decommissioning and remediation and to update the overview, as provided.

This bill would make information filed pursuant to the above-described provisions confidential information, as provided.

The bill would require a refiner to file the final retirement plan concurrently with the Energy Commission and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The bill would authorize the Energy Commission to share the information with the Legislature, a state or local agency, or a local government, including an air pollution control district or an air quality management district, only if the Legislature, the state or local agency, or the local government that receives the information agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the information.

This bill would require, on or before December 31, 2027, the board, in coordination with the Energy Commission, to compile a survey of existing local, state, and federal statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to refiners concerning decommissioning, closure, financial assurance, and site remediation obligations, as provided, for a specified purpose.

This bill would require the board, no later than one year after receiving the retirement plans, plans are deemed final, to publish publicly on the boards internet website a report assessing the total decommissioning and remediation liabilities for refineries in the state, as provided.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Discussed in Hearing