2016 California Code
Public Resources Code - PRC
DIVISION 7.8 - OIL SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
CHAPTER 1 - General Provisions
Section 8750.

8750. Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions govern the construction of this division:

(a) Administrator means the administrator for oil spill response appointed by the Governor pursuant to Section 8670.4 of the Government Code.

(b) Barges means any vessel that carries oil in commercial quantities as cargo but is not equipped with a means of self-propulsion.

(c) (1) Best achievable protection means the highest level of protection which can be achieved through both the use of the best achievable technology and those manpower levels, training procedures, and operational methods which provide the greatest degree of protection achievable. The administrator s determination of best achievable protection shall be guided by the critical need to protect valuable coastal resources and marine waters, while also considering (A) the protection provided by the measures, (B) the technological achievability of the measures, and (C) the cost of the measures.

(2) It is not the intent of the Legislature that the administrator use a cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis or any particular method of analysis in determining which measures to require. Instead, it is the intent of the Legislature that the administrator give reasonable consideration to the protection provided by the measures, the technological achievability of the measures, and the cost of the measures when establishing the requirements to provide the best achievable protection for coastal and marine resources.

(d) Best achievable technology means that technology that provides the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration (1) processes that are being developed, or could feasibly be developed anywhere in the world, given overall reasonable expenditures on research and development, and (2) processes that are currently in use anywhere in the world. In determining what is best achievable technology, the administrator shall consider the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of the technology.

(e) Commission means the State Lands Commission.

(f) Local government means any chartered or general law city, chartered or general law county or any city and county.

(g) Marine facility means any facility of any kind, other than a vessel, that is or was used for the purposes of exploring for, drilling for, producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, refining, or transporting oil and is located in marine waters, or is located where a discharge could impact marine waters unless the facility (1) is subject to Chapter 6.67 (commencing with Section 25270) or Chapter 6.75 (commencing with Section 25299.10) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code or (2) is placed on a farm, nursery, logging site, or construction site and does not exceed 20,000 gallons in a single storage tank. For the purposes of this division, a drill ship, semisubmersible drilling platform, jack-up type drilling rig, or any other floating or temporary drilling platform is a marine facility. For the purposes of this division, a small craft refueling dock is not a marine facility.

(h) Marine terminal means any marine facility used for transferring oil to or from tankers or barges. For the purposes of this section, a marine terminal includes all piping not integrally connected to a tank facility as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 25270.2 of the Health and Safety Code.

(i) Marine waters means those waters subject to tidal influence, except for waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers and Delta upstream from a line running north and south through the point where Contra Costa, Sacramento, and Solano Counties meet.

(j) Nonpersistent oil means a petroleum-based oil, such as gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel, that evaporates relatively quickly. Specifically, it is an oil with hydrocarbon fractions, at least 50 percent of which, by volume, distills at a temperature of 645 degrees Fahrenheit, and at least 95 percent of which, by volume, distills at a temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

(k) Oil means any kind of petroleum, liquid hydrocarbons, or petroleum products or any fraction or residues therefrom, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bunker fuel, gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, oil sludge, oil refuse, oil mixed with waste, and liquid distillates from unprocessed natural gas.

(l) Onshore facility means any facility of any kind which is located entirely on lands not covered by marine waters.

(m) Operator when used in connection with vessels, marine terminals, pipelines, or facilities, means any person or entity that owns, has an ownership interest in, charters, leases, rents, operates, participates in the operation of or uses that vessel, terminal, pipeline, or facility. Operator does not include any entity that owns the land underlying the facility or the facility itself, where the entity is not involved in the operations of the facility.

(n) Person means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, or corporation, including, but not limited to, a government corporation, partnership, limited liability company, and association. Person also includes any city, county, city and county, district, and the state or any department or agency thereof, and the federal government, or any department or agency thereof, to the extent permitted by law.

(o) Pipeline means any pipeline used at any time to transport oil.

(p) Responsible party or party responsible means either of the following:

(1) The owner or transporter of oil or a person or entity accepting responsibility for the oil.

(2) The owner, operator, or lessee of, or person who charters by demise, any vessel or marine facility or a person or entity accepting responsibility for the vessel or marine facility.

(q) Small craft refueling dock means a fixed facility having tank storage capacity not exceeding 20,000 gallons in any single storage tank and that dispenses nonpersistent oil to small craft.

(r) Spill or discharge means any release of at least one barrel (42 gallons) of oil not authorized by any federal, state, or local government entity.

(s) State oil spill contingency plan means the California oil spill contingency plan prepared pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 8574.1) of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(t) Tanker means any self-propelled, waterborne vessel, constructed or adapted for the carriage of oil in bulk or in commercial quantities as cargo.

(u) Vessel means a tanker or barge as defined in this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 86, Sec. 255. Effective January 1, 2017.)