For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Applicant” means the owner or operator of an offshore oil structure in state or federal waters or another party responsible for decommissioning an offshore oil structure in state or federal waters who applies pursuant to this chapter to carry out partial removal of the structure.

(b) “Commission” means the State Lands Commission.

(c) “Conservancy” means the State Coastal Conservancy.

(d) “Cost savings” means the difference between the estimated cost to the applicant of complete removal of an oil platform as required by state and federal leases and the estimated costs to the applicant of partial removal of the oil platform pursuant to this chapter.

(e) “Council” means the Ocean Protection Council.

(f) “Endowment” means the California Endowment for Marine Preservation established in Division 37 (commencing with Section 71500) of the Public Resources Code.

(g) “Exclusive economic zone (EEZ)” means the zone as measured from the mean high tide line seaward to 200 nautical miles, as set forth in Presidential Proclamation 5030 of March 10, 1983, in which the United States proclaimed jurisdiction over the resources of the ocean within 200 miles of the coastline.

(h) “National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984” means Title II of Public Law 98-623.

(i) “Offshore oil structure” means platforms, piers, and artificial islands located seaward of mean lower low water, used for oil and gas exploration, development, production, processing, or storage.

(j) “Oil” means any kind of petroleum, liquid hydrocarbons, natural gas, or petroleum products or any fraction or residues therefrom.

(k) “Open coastal marine resources” means those marine resources that use open coastal waters as their habitat.

(l) “Open coastal waters” means the area composed of the submerged lands of the state that are below the mean lower low water, extending seaward to the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone.

(m) “Partial removal” means an alternative to full removal of an offshore oil structure, in compliance with all requirements of this chapter.

(n) “State waters” means waters within the seaward boundary of the state as identified in Section 2 of Article III of the California Constitution.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 687, Sec. 1. (AB 2503) Effective January 1, 2011.)