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Article 8.3. Hazardous Waste Enforcement Coordinator And Strike Force of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.5. >> Article 8.3.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares as follows:
(1) The United States Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that 90 percent of the 9 to 10 million metric tons of hazardous waste produced in California each year is improperly disposed.
(2) Approximately 50 percent of California's drinking water comes from underground water supplies which are highly susceptible to contamination from hazardous waste.
(3) Prosecution for violators of hazardous waste laws requires a specialized team of investigators and attorneys to detect, investigate, and prosecute these violators.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to increase the effectiveness of local and state hazardous waste enforcement activities.
(1) The United States Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that 90 percent of the 9 to 10 million metric tons of hazardous waste produced in California each year is improperly disposed.
(2) Approximately 50 percent of California's drinking water comes from underground water supplies which are highly susceptible to contamination from hazardous waste.
(3) Prosecution for violators of hazardous waste laws requires a specialized team of investigators and attorneys to detect, investigate, and prosecute these violators.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to increase the effectiveness of local and state hazardous waste enforcement activities.
(a) The director shall establish a Hazardous Waste
Enforcement Unit within the department and shall appoint an
enforcement coordinator to administer that unit and carry out the
duties specified in subdivision (b).
(b) The enforcement coordinator shall do all of the following:
(1) Require that information which the department receives concerning a violation of this chapter or any regulation or order issued pursuant to this chapter is routinely and expeditiously transmitted from the department to the appropriate city attorney or district attorney, and to the Attorney General.
(2) Make recommendations of persons to be awarded payment pursuant to Section 25191.7.
(3) Make annual recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature of statutory changes to increase the capability of city attorneys, district attorneys, and the Attorney General to prosecute violations of this chapter and any other law or regulation relating to hazardous waste, including needed training, assistance, and coordination programs.
(4) Report to the Governor and the Legislature, in the biennial report specified in Section 25178, on the actions taken by the enforcement coordinator and the Hazardous Waste Strike Force to carry out this article and the results obtained from those actions in increasing the effectiveness of local and state hazardous waste enforcement activities.
(5) Establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number, operating during the regular working hours of the department, which is available to the public to report information concerning violations of this chapter and any other hazardous waste statutes and regulations. The department shall screen calls for violations and shall refer information concerning potential violations within three working days to the regional office of the department, the office of the city attorney, the district attorney, or the Attorney General, as appropriate.
(6) Establish a program to publicize the toll-free telephone number.
(c) Nothing in this article limits the authority of a city attorney, a district attorney, or the Attorney General to investigate or prosecute violations of hazardous waste laws or regulations.
(d) Nothing in this article limits the authority of the department or any agency specified in subdivision (a) of Section 25197.2 to request that a civil or criminal action be brought by a city attorney, a district attorney, or the Attorney General under any other law or regulation.
(b) The enforcement coordinator shall do all of the following:
(1) Require that information which the department receives concerning a violation of this chapter or any regulation or order issued pursuant to this chapter is routinely and expeditiously transmitted from the department to the appropriate city attorney or district attorney, and to the Attorney General.
(2) Make recommendations of persons to be awarded payment pursuant to Section 25191.7.
(3) Make annual recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature of statutory changes to increase the capability of city attorneys, district attorneys, and the Attorney General to prosecute violations of this chapter and any other law or regulation relating to hazardous waste, including needed training, assistance, and coordination programs.
(4) Report to the Governor and the Legislature, in the biennial report specified in Section 25178, on the actions taken by the enforcement coordinator and the Hazardous Waste Strike Force to carry out this article and the results obtained from those actions in increasing the effectiveness of local and state hazardous waste enforcement activities.
(5) Establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number, operating during the regular working hours of the department, which is available to the public to report information concerning violations of this chapter and any other hazardous waste statutes and regulations. The department shall screen calls for violations and shall refer information concerning potential violations within three working days to the regional office of the department, the office of the city attorney, the district attorney, or the Attorney General, as appropriate.
(6) Establish a program to publicize the toll-free telephone number.
(c) Nothing in this article limits the authority of a city attorney, a district attorney, or the Attorney General to investigate or prosecute violations of hazardous waste laws or regulations.
(d) Nothing in this article limits the authority of the department or any agency specified in subdivision (a) of Section 25197.2 to request that a civil or criminal action be brought by a city attorney, a district attorney, or the Attorney General under any other law or regulation.
(a) The department shall establish a statewide Hazardous
Waste Strike Force which shall consist of a representative from each
of the following agencies:
(1) The Department of Transportation.
(2) The Department of Industrial Relations.
(3) The Department of Food and Agriculture.
(4) The State Water Resources Control Board.
(5) The State Air Resources Board.
(6) The Department of the California Highway Patrol.
(7) The Office of the State Fire Marshal in the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
(8) The California Integrated Waste Management Board.
(9) The Department of Fish and Game.
(10) The Office of Emergency Services.
(11) The Department of Toxic Substances Control.
(12) The Attorney General.
(13) The Department of Pesticide Regulation.
(b) The director, or the director's designee, shall direct and coordinate the activities of the Hazardous Waste Strike Force.
(c) The Hazardous Waste Strike Force shall do all of the following:
(1) Recommend standardized programs among the agencies represented on the Hazardous Waste Strike Force for the purposes of uniformly enforcing state hazardous waste statutes and regulations and reporting violators of these statutes and regulations.
(2) Recommend programs to publicize and improve the statewide telephone number established pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 25197.1.
(3) Recommend local and regional programs to report information concerning violations of this chapter and any other hazardous waste statutes and regulations.
(1) The Department of Transportation.
(2) The Department of Industrial Relations.
(3) The Department of Food and Agriculture.
(4) The State Water Resources Control Board.
(5) The State Air Resources Board.
(6) The Department of the California Highway Patrol.
(7) The Office of the State Fire Marshal in the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
(8) The California Integrated Waste Management Board.
(9) The Department of Fish and Game.
(10) The Office of Emergency Services.
(11) The Department of Toxic Substances Control.
(12) The Attorney General.
(13) The Department of Pesticide Regulation.
(b) The director, or the director's designee, shall direct and coordinate the activities of the Hazardous Waste Strike Force.
(c) The Hazardous Waste Strike Force shall do all of the following:
(1) Recommend standardized programs among the agencies represented on the Hazardous Waste Strike Force for the purposes of uniformly enforcing state hazardous waste statutes and regulations and reporting violators of these statutes and regulations.
(2) Recommend programs to publicize and improve the statewide telephone number established pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 25197.1.
(3) Recommend local and regional programs to report information concerning violations of this chapter and any other hazardous waste statutes and regulations.
This article shall be funded from the department's
existing resources.
