Section 21080.21.

(a) This division does not apply to any project of less than one mile in length within a public street or highway or any other public right-of-way for the installation of a new pipeline or the maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline.

(b) For purposes of this section, "pipeline" means subsurface pipelines and subsurface or surface accessories or appurtenances to a pipeline, such as mains, traps, vents, cables, conduits, vaults, valves, flanges, manholes, and meters.

(c) In determining the applicability of the exemption provided by this section to a natural gas pipeline safety enhancement activity under review by a resource agency, the resource agency shall consider only the length of pipeline that is within its legal jurisdiction.

(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Natural gas pipeline safety enhancement activity" means an activity undertaken by a public utility as part of a program to enhance the safety of intrastate natural gas pipelines in accordance with a decision, rule, or regulation adopted by the Public Utilities Commission.

(2) "Resource agency" means the State Lands Commission, the California Coastal Commission, the Department of Fish and Game, or the State Water Resources Control Board, and local or regional agencies with permitting authority under the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)) or Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 13200) of Division 7 of the Water Code.

(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 487, Sec. 2. Effective September 23, 2012. Repealed as of January 1, 2018, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 3 of Ch. 487.)