SECTIONS 6600-6605 - California Statutes

FISH AND GAME CODE

SECTION 6600-6605

6600. This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the California
Marine Resources Legacy Act.

6601. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California's extraordinary marine biological diversity is a
vital asset to the state and nation. The diversity of species and
ecosystems found in the ocean waters off the state is important to
public health and well-being, ecological health, and ocean-dependent
economic activities.
(b) Although the state maintains various programs to protect,
restore, and enhance California's marine resources, the effect of
these programs is limited by inadequate and unstable funding.
(c) There is an existing permitting process for decommissioning
and fully removing offshore oil platforms or production facilities.
Owners and operators are currently responsible for the full cost of
decommissioning and remediating those facilities.
(d) According to the United States Department of the Interior, the
23 oil and gas platforms in federal waters off the California coast
are expected to reach the end of their useful production lifetimes
and be decommissioned between 2015 and 2030.
(e) The California Ocean Science Trust in its June 2010 study,
titled "Evaluating Alternatives for Decommissioning California's
Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms: A Technical Analysis to Inform State
Policy," analyzed a number of decommissioning alternatives to full
rig removal and determined that the most likely alternative is to
remove the upper portion of the rig and leave the remainder of the
structure in place.
(f) The California Ocean Science Trust report and other studies
indicate that the partial removal option can result in a net benefit
to the marine environment and substantial cost savings compared to
full removal of an oil platform or production facility.
(g) Provided that partial removal of an oil rig would result in a
net benefit to the marine environment compared to full removal, it is
in the interest of the state that a portion of the cost savings that
result from partial removal should be shared with the citizens of
this state to protect and enhance the state's marine resources.
(h) It is also in the interest of the state that any program to
allow partial removal of oil platforms meet all of the following
criteria:
(1) Partial removal shall result in a net benefit to the marine
environment compared to full removal.
(2) The determination of whether partial removal would result in a
net benefit to the marine environment should be made only after
scientific study and evaluation.
(3) Because the location and depth of an oil platform, as well as
other ecological factors, create a unique environment, each oil
platform shall be subject to scientific study and evaluation before
partial removal is allowed.
(4) The costs of the scientific study and evaluation should be
borne by the applicant.

6602. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a) "Applicant" means the owner or operator of an offshore oil
structure in state or federal waters or another party responsible for
decommissioning an offshore oil structure in state or federal waters
who applies pursuant to this chapter to carry out partial removal of
the structure.
(b) "Commission" means the State Lands Commission.
(c) "Conservancy" means the State Coastal Conservancy.
(d) "Cost savings" means the difference between the estimated cost
to the applicant of complete removal of an oil platform as required
by state and federal leases and the estimated costs to the applicant
of partial removal of the oil platform pursuant to this chapter.
(e) "Council" means the Ocean Protection Council.
(f) "Endowment" means the California Endowment for Marine
Preservation established in Division 37 (commencing with Section
71500) of the Public Resources Code.
(g) "Exclusive economic zone (EEZ)" means the zone as measured
from the mean high tide line seaward to 200 nautical miles, as set
forth in Presidential Proclamation 5030 of March 10, 1983, in which
the United States proclaimed jurisdiction over the resources of the
ocean within 200 miles of the coastline.
(h) "National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984" means Title II of
Public Law 98-623.
(i) "Offshore oil structure" means platforms, piers, and
artificial islands located seaward of mean lower low water, used for
oil and gas exploration, development, production, processing, or
storage.
(j) "Oil" means any kind of petroleum, liquid hydrocarbons,
natural gas, or petroleum products or any fraction or residues
therefrom.
(k) "Open coastal marine resources" means those marine resources
that use open coastal waters as their habitat.
(l) "Open coastal waters" means the area composed of the submerged
lands of the state that are below the mean lower low water,
extending seaward to the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone.
(m) "Partial removal" means an alternative to full removal of an
offshore oil structure, in compliance with all requirements of this
chapter.
(n) "State waters" means waters within the seaward boundary of the
state as identified in Section 2 of Article III of the California
Constitution.

6603. (a) This chapter establishes a program through which an
applicant may voluntarily apply to the department to carry out
partial removal of the structure.
(b) The program established pursuant to this chapter shall be
deemed consistent with, and part of, the California Artificial Reef
Program pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 6420) of
Chapter 5 for purposes of compliance with federal law including the
National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984.
(c) Except as specified in Section 6604, the department shall
serve as the primary authority for carrying out the program,
including review and approval of applications to partially remove an
offshore oil structure in state or federal waters and management and
operation of decommissioned offshore oil structures in state or
federal waters approved pursuant to this chapter.
(d) Final approval of an application shall not be granted until
the applicant complies with all requirements of the chapter,
including the payment of all costs to the state to review and approve
the proposed project as required by subdivision (b) of Section 6612
and the transmittal of the required portion of cost savings to the
endowment and other parties as required by Section 6618.
(e) The department may obtain funds for the planning, development,
maintenance, and operation of an offshore oil structure transferred
to the department pursuant to this chapter and may accept gifts,
subventions, grants, rebates, reimbursements, and subsidies from any
lawful source.
(f) The department may adopt regulations to implement this
chapter.

6604. (a) A proposed project to partially remove an offshore oil
structure pursuant to this chapter is a project as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 21065 of the Public Resources Code and is
therefore subject to the California Environmental Quality Act
(Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources
Code) and shall be reviewed pursuant to the time limits established
in Section 21100.2 of the Public Resources Code.
(b) The Natural Resources Agency shall serve as the lead agency
for the environmental review of any project proposed pursuant to this
chapter.

6605. (a) Nothing in this chapter is intended, and it shall not be
construed, to limit or affect the authority or duties of any state or
local agency, including, but not limited to, the commission, the
council, and the California Coastal Commission.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to do any of the
following:
(1) Relieve the applicant or prior owner or operator of an
offshore oil structure from any continuing liability under any of the
following, if the liability is associated with seepage or release of
oil from an offshore oil structure that was decommissioned pursuant
to an order of, or any action taken by, and in accordance with, any
applicable rule or regulation of, any federal or state agency:
(A) Any state statute or regulation regarding liability for the
spilling of oil.
(B) The federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et
seq.).
(C) Any other provision of law.
(2) Establish any new liability on the part of the state.
(3) Require any agency with jurisdiction to approve the partial
removal of an offshore oil structure.
(4) Promote, encourage, or facilitate offshore oil exploration,
development, and production within California's open coastal waters.
(5) Require the United States Department of the Interior or the
commission to modify, amend, or alter an existing oil and gas lease
to approve partial removal of an offshore oil structure.
(6) Alter any existing law or applicable rule or regulation of any
federal or state agency that establishes liability for damages
arising with respect to artificial reefs or reef materials,
including, but not limited to, components of decommissioned oil
structures.
(7) Alter any existing law or policy that protects natural reefs.
(8) Approve any particular method of abandonment.
(c) Any partial removal of an offshore oil structure pursuant to
this chapter shall not be used or counted as mitigation for any
environmental impacts or natural resource damages.