1. (a) The operator of an underground gas storage project shall have an emergency response plan approved by the Division and ready for immediate implementation. The emergency response plan shall specify a schedule for carrying out drills to validate the plan. The drills shall address the readiness of operator personnel with respect to their ability to interact with equipment and their ability to contact required third party service providers for the equipment.

   The emergency response plan shall identify and consider onsite personnel, outside emergency responders, and potentially affected communities. The operators shall provide local emergency response entities at least 30 days to review and provide input on the emergency response plan.

2. (b) The emergency response plan shall at a minimum address the following scenarios:

   1. (1) Collisions involving well heads;
   2. (2) Well fires and blowouts;
   3. (3) Hazardous material spills;
   4. (4) Equipment failures;
   5. (5) Natural disasters/emergencies;
   6. (6) Leaks and well failures;
   7. (7) Medical emergencies; and
   8. (8) Explosions.

3. (c) The emergency response plan shall at a minimum include all of the following:

   1. (1) Clearly written and communicated emergency response plan policy, goals, and objectives;
   2. (2) An incident management system designed to address resource management, communication systems, and incident documentation;
   3. (3) Written action plans establishing assigned authority to the appropriate person(s) at a facility for initiating effective emergency response and control;
   4. (4) Accident-response measures that outline response activities, leakage mitigation approaches, and well control processes for well failure and full blowout scenarios;
   5. (5) Well-specific well control plans that include well-specific deliverability including an Inflow Performance Relationship and the current configuration of the well. Data and models supporting these well-specific well control plans shall be made available to the Division upon request.
   6. (6) Prepositioning, as feasible, and identification of materials and personnel necessary to respond to leaks, including materials and equipment to respond to and stop the leak itself as well as to protect public health and safety.
   7. (7) A schedule for regular drills, providing for an opportunity for involvement of the Division and local emergency response entities, and providing an opportunity for drills initiated by local emergency response entities;
   8. (8) An effective training program with clearly stated goals. The training program shall specify the type and frequency of training and the emergency scenarios addressed;
   9. (9) Recordkeeping for all drills and training;
   10. (10) A schedule for regular evaluation and update of the emergency response plan;
   11. (11) Protocols for emergency reporting and response to appropriate government agencies;
   12. (12) Specification of personnel roles and responsibilities;
   13. (13) Internal and external communication protocol;
   14. (14) Up-to-date emergency contact information including area codes; and
   15. (15) A protocol for public notice of a large, uncontrollable leak to any potentially impacted community, as defined in the Risk Management Plan, if the leak cannot be controlled within 48 hours of discovery by the operator.

   16. (16) Identification of monitoring, sampling, and testing methods and procedures, that may be utilized to detect and, if possible, quantify each chemical of concern. The procedures shall provide for prompt engagement with the Division when the emergency response plan is triggered by an emergency. The results of the monitoring, sampling, and testing shall be submitted to the Division and incorporated into the Gas Storage Well Chemical Inventory for affected wells.

       1. (A) For the purposes of this section, “chemical of concern” includes hydrogen sulfide, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, formaldehyde, radon-222, and metals including arsenic, silver, barium, beryllium, copper, cadmium, cobalt, chromium (Total), chromium-6, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, titanium, vanadium, and zinc, and other constituents that the Division requires testing for under Section 1726.4.3, subdivision (c).
       2. (B) Repair of a leak shall not be delayed for the purposes of this testing.
4. (d) The operator shall review and update the emergency response plan after key personnel changes, and at least once per calendar year, but no less often than once every 15 months. When reviewing and updating the emergency response plan, the operator shall again provide local emergency response entities at least 30 days to review and provide input on the emergency response plan.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 3013, 3106 and 3180, Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections 3011, 3106, 3180, 3181, 3181.5, 3183, 3184, 3186.3, 3220 and 3403.5, Public Resources Code.

History

1. New section filed 6-28-2018; operative 10-1-2018 (Register 2018, No. 26).

2. New subsection (c)(5), subsection renumbering, new subsections (c)(16)-(c)(16)(B), amendment of subsection (d) and amendment of Note filed 5-1-2025; operative 7-1-2025 (Register 2025, No. 18).