ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS.

§24B-1-1. Purpose.

It is hereby declared to be the purpose and policy of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to empower the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, in addition to all other powers conferred and duties imposed upon it by law, to prescribe and enforce safety standards for pipeline facilities as hereinafter defined, and to regulate safety practices of persons engaged in the transportation of gas or hazardous liquids as hereinafter defined.

§24B-1-2. Definitions.

When used in this chapter:

(1) "Person" means any individual, firm, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association, state, municipality, cooperative association or joint-stock association, and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee or personal representative thereof;

(2) "Gas" means natural gas, flammable gas or gas which is toxic or corrosive;

(3) "Transportation of gas" means the gathering, transmission or distribution of gas by pipeline or its storage;

(4) "Hazardous liquid" means:

(a) Petroleum or any petroleum product; and

(b) Any substance or material which is in liquid state (excluding liquefied natural gas) when transported by pipeline facilities and which, as determined by the commission, may pose an unreasonable risk to life or property when transported by pipeline facilities: Provided, That a hazardous liquid as herein defined shall not be construed so as to include or permit the regulation of any substance transported through pipeline or otherwise when used in the operation of coal mines, coal processing plants or coal slurry pipelines: Provided, however, That the commission shall not determine that any substance or material is a hazardous liquid under this section if the secretary has not determined that the substance or material is a hazardous liquid under regulations promulgated in accordance with Section 202(2) of the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979;

(5) "Transportation of hazardous liquids" means the movement of hazardous liquids by pipeline, or their storage incidental to such movements; except that it shall not include any such movement through gathering lines in rural locations or on shore production, refining or manufacturing facilities or storage or in-plant piping systems associated with any of such facilities;

(6) "Pipeline facilities" means, without limitation, new and existing pipe, pipe rights-of-way and any equipment, facility, or building used in the transportation of gas or the treatment of gas during the course of transportation, or used in the transportation of hazardous liquid or the treatment of hazardous liquid during the course of transportation; but "rights-of-way" as used in this chapter does not authorize the commission to prescribe the location or routing of any pipeline facility;

(7) "Municipality" means a city, county or any other political subdivision of the state;

(8) "Interstate transmission facilities" means facilities used in the transportation of gas which are subject to the jurisdiction of the federal power commission under the act of Congress known as the Natural Gas Act;

(9) "Interstate pipeline facilities" means the pipeline facilities used in the transportation of hazardous liquids in interstate or foreign commerce;

(10) "Director" means the director of the gas pipeline safety section of the commission;

(11) "Commission" means the Public Service Commission of West Virginia;

(12) "Secretary" means the United States secretary of transportation;

(13) "Pipeline company" means a person engaged in the operation of pipeline facilities or the transportation of gas or hazardous liquids subject to the provisions of this chapter;

(14) "Act of 1968" means the act of Congress known as the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968; and

(15) "Act of 1979" means the act of Congress known as the "Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979."