Article 5.5. Coordination With Federal Acts of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.5. >> Article 5.5.

The department shall adopt and revise when necessary regulations that will allow the state to receive and maintain authorization to administer a state hazardous waste program in lieu of the federal program pursuant to Section 6926 of the federal act. When reviewing a regulation adopted pursuant to this section, the Office of Administrative Law shall not review the regulation for nonduplication, notwithstanding paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 11349.1 of the Government Code.

(a) The Office of Administrative Law shall deem any regulation proposed for adoption by the department to maintain authorization pursuant to Section 25159 to be a nonsubstantive change without regulatory effect for the purposes of Section 100 of Title 1 of the California Code of Regulations, provided that the regulation, as applied in this state, is not more stringent and is not broader in scope than the corresponding federal regulations.

(a) In adopting or revising standards and regulations pursuant to this chapter, the department shall, insofar as practicable, make the standards and regulations conform with corresponding regulations adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the federal act. This section does not prohibit the department from adopting standards and regulations that are more stringent or more extensive than federal regulations.
  (b) Until the state program is granted final authorization by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 6926 of Title 42 of the United States Code, all regulations adopted pursuant to the federal act shall be deemed to be the regulations of the department, except that any state statute or regulation which is more stringent or more extensive than a federal regulation shall supersede the federal regulation.

Until the department adopts standards and regulations corresponding to, and equivalent to, or more stringent or extensive than, regulations adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Sections 6922 to 6926, inclusive, of Title 42 of the United States Code, the following shall apply:
  (a) Any person who produces a waste that is a hazardous waste as defined by Section 25117 shall comply with this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter and, in addition, to the extent that the waste is both hazardous, as defined by regulations adopted pursuant to Section 6921 of Title 42 of the United States Code, and has not been excluded from regulation pursuant to that section, the person shall also comply with federal regulations adopted pursuant to Section 6922 of Title 42 of the United States Code.
  (b) Any person who transports a waste that is a hazardous waste shall comply with this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter and, in addition, to the extent that the waste is both hazardous, as defined by regulations adopted pursuant to Section 6921 of Title 42 of the United States Code, and has not been excluded from regulation pursuant to that section, the person shall also comply with federal regulations adopted pursuant to Section 6923 of Title 42 of the United States Code.
  (c) Any person who owns or operates a hazardous waste facility shall comply with this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter and, in addition, to the extent that the facility is defined as a hazardous waste facility in regulations adopted under the federal act, and to the extent that the waste is both hazardous, as defined by regulations adopted pursuant to Section 6921 of Title 42 of the United States Code, and has not been excluded from regulation pursuant to that section, that person shall also comply with federal regulations adopted pursuant to Sections 6924 and 6925 of Title 42 of the United States Code.

The department is authorized to carry out all hazardous waste management responsibilities imposed or authorized by the federal act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.), including any subsequent amendments of these federal acts, and any regulations adopted pursuant to these federal acts.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the furnishing of trade secret information to the Environmental Protection Agency to the extent required by law to obtain and maintain interim and final authorization to implement the state hazardous waste program in lieu of the federal program under the federal act. If the department has received a written claim that particular information furnished to the Environmental Protection Agency is trade secret information, the department shall so inform the Environmental Protection Agency.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may make available to the Environmental Protection Agency, or any other federal agency, any and all information necessary to be furnished to these agencies in order to comply with the federal act in order to obtain and maintain authorization to administer the state hazardous waste program in lieu of the federal program. The sharing of information between the department and a federal agency pursuant to this section shall not constitute a waiver by the department or any affected person of any privilege or confidentiality of the information provided by law.