(a) The administrator shall adopt regulations governing tugboat escorts for tank ships and tank barges entering, leaving, or navigating in the harbors of the state. The regulations shall be adopted, and thereafter periodically revised, to ensure the best achievable protection of the public health and safety and the environment.

(b) The regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the circumstances under which tank ships and tank barges are required to be accompanied by a tugboat or tugboats of sufficient size, horsepower, and pull capability while entering, leaving, or navigating in the harbors of the state. In making that determination, the administrator shall be guided by the recommendations of the harbor safety committees established pursuant to Section 8670.23.

(c) The administrator may adopt regulations that differ from the recommendations of the harbor safety committees only after a public hearing. If the administrator proposes to adopt regulations that require the use of tugboat escorts in fewer instances in the harbors of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays than that which is recommended by the Harbor Safety Committee for San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays, the administrator shall, in a public hearing, adopt findings, based on substantial evidence, that the proposed regulations provide adequate protection and are consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

(d) A public hearing held in accordance with Section 11346.8 shall satisfy the public hearing requirement of subdivision (c).

(e) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the appropriate use of tugboat escorts can improve vessel safety, particularly in the harbors of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bays, and that the regulations concerning tugboat escorts in those harbors shall be adopted as quickly as practicable and may be adopted before the adoption of all other regulations required by this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 748, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2002.)