(a) “Division” means the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Pipeline Safety Division.

(b) “Hearing” means an informal conference or a proceeding for oral presentations. Unless otherwise specifically prescribed in this Article, the use of “hearing” is not intended to require a hearing on the record in accordance with Chapter 4, Part 1, Division 3 of the Government Code.

(c) “Imminent hazard” means the existence of a condition relating to a pipeline facility that presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious illness, severe personal injury, or a substantial endangerment to health, property, or the environment may occur before the reasonably foreseeable completion date of a formal proceeding begun to lessen the risk of such death, illness, injury or endangerment.

(d) “Operator” means a person who owns or operates a pipeline facility.

(e) “Person” includes any individual, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, company, or public or private organization or entity of any character.

(f) “Presiding Official” for a hearing is a representative of the Division who is not engaged in any investigative or prosecutorial functions, such as the issuance of notices under this Article related to the action being heard. If the designated Presiding Official is unavailable, the State Fire Marshal may delegate the powers and duties specified in this section to another representative who is not engaged in any investigative or prosecutorial functions under this Article related to the action being heard.

(g) “Respondent” means a person or operator upon whom the Division has served an enforcement action described in this Article.