Public resources: transportation of carbon dioxide.

Assembly Member Petrie-Norris's legislation expands California's pipeline safety regulations to encompass carbon dioxide transportation, requiring the State Fire Marshal to develop comprehensive safety standards by April 2026 that mirror federal draft regulations.

The bill modifies the Elder California Pipeline Safety Act to include intrastate carbon dioxide pipelines under state oversight while maintaining existing federal jurisdiction over interstate pipelines. Under the new provisions, the State Fire Marshal must establish regulations covering pipeline design, materials, leak detection, emergency response protocols, and other safety measures. The legislation grants the Fire Marshal authority to order immediate pipeline shutdowns if operations violate state or federal laws or pose risks to public health or the environment.

For carbon dioxide capture and sequestration projects, the measure creates distinct regulatory pathways for interstate and intrastate pipelines. Interstate pipelines must await final federal safety standards, while intrastate pipelines can operate once operators demonstrate compliance with the new state regulations. The bill exempts carbon dioxide transport within permitted facilities from these requirements. These changes align with California's climate goals, which include capturing 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 and 100 million metric tons by 2045.