Actions

Memo

BILL NUMBER:S5730

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public service law, in relation to the description of fuel gas transmission lines

PURPOSE: To guarantee fuel gas transmission lines of all pressures are regulated, inspected, and mapped by the Public Service Commission.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1 amends subdivision 2 of section 120 of the public service law to change the description of fuel gas transmission line to include transmission lines of any pressure used to transport fuel gas.

Section 2 establishes an effective date of thirty days after the act shall have become law and directs the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of the act on or before such effective date

JUSTIFICATION: In light of the push to develop the Marcellus and other shales, many landowners, farmers, environmental advocates and others have expressed concerns over the lack of oversight of fuel gas transmissions lines. Currently, low pressure transmission lines (lines with pressure of 124 pounds per square inch (psi) or less) are not regulated, inspected, or mapped in any systematic way. By changing the description of fuel gas transmission line in the public service law, this bill will require the Public Service Commission to assume oversight of these low-pressure lines as they currently have over transmission lines with pressures over 124 psi.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect 30 days after enactment.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

5730

2011-2012 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

June 14, 2011
___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  O'MARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to  the  description
  of fuel gas transmission lines

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 120 of the public service law,  as
amended  by  chapter  538  of  the  laws  of 1981, is amended to read as
follows:
  2. "Major utility transmission facility" means: (a) an electric trans-
mission line of a design capacity of one hundred  twenty-five  kilovolts
or  more  extending  a  distance  of one mile or more, or of one hundred
kilovolts or more and  less  than  one  hundred  twenty-five  kilovolts,
extending  a  distance of ten miles or more, including associated equip-
ment, but shall not include any such transmission  line  located  wholly
underground  in  a city with a population in excess of one hundred twen-
ty-five thousand or a primary transmission line approved by the  federal
energy regulatory commission in connection with a hydro-electric facili-
ty;  and  (b) [a] ANY fuel gas transmission line extending a distance of
one thousand feet or more to be used to transport fuel gas [at pressures
of one hundred twenty-five pounds per square inch  or  more],  excluding
appurtenant facilities, but shall not include any such transmission line
which is located wholly underground in a city or wholly within the right
of  way  of  a  state, county or town highway or village street as those
terms are defined in article one of the highway law and article  six  of
the  village  law,  or  which  replaces  an  existing transmission line,
including appurtenant facilities, and extends a distance  of  less  than
one mile.
  S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become a law, provided however,  that  effective  immediately,  the
addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary
for the implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized
and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11191-01-1