Article 7. Treatment, Recycling, And Disposal Technology of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.5. >> Article 7.

The department, in performing its duties under this chapter, shall do all of the following:
  (a) Coordinate research and development regarding methods of hazardous waste handling, storage, use, processing, and disposal and may conduct appropriate studies relating to hazardous wastes.
  (b) Maintain a technical reference center on hazardous waste management practices, including, but not limited to, hazardous waste disposal, recycling practices, and related information for public and private use.
  (c) Establish and maintain a toll-free Toxic Substances Hotline, operating during the regular working hours of the department, to provide information on hazardous waste or appropriate referrals on other toxic substances to the regulated community and the public. The department shall coordinate the Toxic Substances Hotline program with other programs that provide information on hazardous wastes and other toxic substances, including, but not limited to, the technical reference center established pursuant to subdivision (b).
  (d) Provide statewide planning for hazardous waste facility site identification and assessment and render technical assistance to state and local agencies in the planning and operation of hazardous waste programs.
  (e) Provide for appropriate surveillance of hazardous waste processing, use, handling, storage, and disposal practices in the state.
  (f) Coordinate research and study in the technical and managerial aspects of management and use of hazardous wastes, and recycling and recovery of resources from hazardous wastes.
  (g) Determine existing and expected rates of production of hazardous waste.
  (h) Investigate market potential and feasibility of use of hazardous wastes and recovery of resources from hazardous wastes.
  (i) Promote recycling and recovery of resources from hazardous wastes.
  (j) Conduct studies for the purpose of improving departmental operations.
  (k) Encourage the reduction or exchange, or both, of hazardous waste, including, but not limited to, publishing and distributing both of the following:
  (1) Lists of hazardous wastes for the purpose of enabling persons to match the constituents of hazardous waste streams with needs for hazardous materials resources.
  (2) Directories of known and permitted commercial hazardous waste recyclers in the state.
  (l) Establish and maintain an information clearinghouse, which shall consist of a record of wastes which may be recyclable. Every producer of hazardous waste shall supply the department with information for the clearinghouse. Each producer shall not be required to supply any more information than is required by the manifests provided for in Section 25160. The department shall make this information available to persons who desire to recycle the wastes. The information shall be made available in such a way that the trade secrets of the producer are protected.
  (m) Conduct pilot projects, as appropriate, to document the technical performance of emerging technologies which offer potential for ameliorating California's hazardous waste disposal problems.
  (n) Develop and implement an industry education program which shall emphasize small business education and shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following elements:
  (1) Preparation of a synopsis of laws and regulations relating to hazardous waste, which the department shall publish by January 1 of each year.
  (2) Publication of educational pamphlets for selected types of business explaining selected areas of the law, regulations, or programs concerning hazardous waste.
  (3) Audio-visual training programs, as needed.
  (4) An annual California Hazardous Waste Management Symposium.

The department shall enter into contracts or agreements with educational, professional, or trade associations, using a competitive bidding process, to establish specialized training programs with a statewide focus to instruct businesses and other entities on compliance with statutes and regulations governing the handling, disposal, transportation, and storage of hazardous waste.

The department shall establish procedures to ensure that trade secrets used by a person regarding methods of hazardous waste handling and disposal are utilized by the director, the department, or any authorized representative of the department only in connection with the responsibilities of the department pursuant to this chapter and that such trade secrets are not otherwise disseminated by the director, the department, or any authorized representative of the department without the consent of the person. However, any information shall be made available to governmental agencies for use in making studies and for use in judicial review or enforcement proceedings involving the person furnishing the information. "Trade secrets," as used in this section, may include, but are not limited to, any formula, plan, pattern, process, tool, mechanism, compound, procedure, production data, or compilation of information which is not patented, which is known only to certain individuals within a commercial concern who are using it to fabricate, produce, or compound an article of trade or a service having commercial value, and which gives its user an opportunity to obtain a business advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the legislative body of a city or county may impose and enforce a tax, for general purposes, or may impose a user fee on the operation of an offsite, multiuser hazardous waste facility located within the jurisdiction of the city or county. The tax or the user fee imposed shall not exceed 10 percent of the facility's annual gross receipts for the treatment, storage, or disposal of hazardous waste at the facility. If a city or county imposes a tax pursuant to this section, the city or county may use the revenues collected from the tax to fund those activities reasonably necessary for the city or county to carry out its duties related to the operation of the hazardous waste facility upon which the tax is imposed and for support of the city's or county's fire and emergency response capabilities and emergency medical services, to the extent the city or county determines that this funding should be given priority.
  (b) A city or county shall not impose a tax or a user fee adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) upon any of the following:
  (1) An existing hazardous waste facility for which a tax is authorized pursuant to Section 25149.5.
  (2) That portion of the gross receipts of the hazardous waste facility that derives from the recycling of hazardous wastes or the treatment of medical wastes or wastes which meets the definition of medical wastes.
  (c) A state agency shall not include the expenditure of revenues received by a city or county pursuant to this section in calculating the level of financial support that a city or county is required to maintain under any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, Section 77204 of the Government Code and Section 16990 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. However, this subdivision does not apply to subdivision (c) of Section 2105 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(a) There is in the General Fund the Toxic Substances Control Account, which shall be administered by the director. In addition to any other money that may be appropriated by the Legislature to the Toxic Substances Control Account, all of the following shall be deposited in the account:
  (1) The fees collected pursuant to Section 25205.6.
  (2) The fees collected pursuant to Section 25187.2, to the extent that those fees are for oversight of a removal or remedial action taken under Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300) or Chapter 6.86 (commencing with Section 25396).
  (3) Fines or penalties collected pursuant to this chapter, Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300) or Chapter 6.86 (commencing with Section 25396), except as directed otherwise by Section 25192.
  (4) Interest earned upon money deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account.
  (5) All money recovered pursuant to Section 25360, except any amount recovered on or before June 30, 2006, that was paid from the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Fund.
  (6) All money recovered pursuant to Section 25380.
  (7) All penalties recovered pursuant to Section 25214.3, except as provided by Section 25192.
  (8) All penalties recovered pursuant to Section 25214.22.1, except as provided by Section 25192.
  (9) All penalties recovered pursuant to Section 25215.7, except as provided by Section 25192.
  (10) Reimbursements for funds expended from the Toxic Substances Control Account for services provided by the department, including, but not limited to, reimbursements required pursuant to Sections 25201.9 and 25343.
  (11) Money received from the federal government pursuant to the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.).
  (12) Money received from responsible parties for remedial action or removal at a specific site, except as otherwise provided by law.
  (b) The funds deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account may be appropriated to the department for the following purposes:
  (1) The administration and implementation of the following:
  (A) Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300), except that funds shall not be expended from the Toxic Substances Control Account for purposes of Section 25354.5.
  (B) Chapter 6.86 (commencing with Section 25396).
  (C) Article 10 (commencing with Section 7710) of Chapter 1 of Division 4 of the Public Utilities Code, to the extent the department has been delegated responsibilities by the secretary for implementing that article.
  (D) Activities of the department related to pollution prevention and technology development, authorized pursuant to this chapter.
  (2) The administration of the following units, and successor organizations of those units, within the department, and the implementation of programs administered by those units or successor organizations:
  (A) The Human and Ecological Risk Division.
  (B) The Environmental Chemistry Laboratory.
  (C) The Office of Pollution Prevention and Technology Development.
  (3) For allocation to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, pursuant to an interagency agreement, to assist the department as needed in administering the programs described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
  (4) For allocation to the State Board of Equalization to pay refunds of fees collected pursuant to Section 43054 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (5) For the state share mandated pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of Section 104 of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604(c)(3)).
  (6) For the purchase by the state, or by a local agency with the prior approval of the director, of hazardous substance response equipment and other preparations for response to a release of hazardous substances. However, all equipment shall be purchased in a cost-effective manner after consideration of the adequacy of existing equipment owned by the state or the local agency, and the availability of equipment owned by private contractors.
  (7) For payment of all costs of removal and remedial action incurred by the state, or by a local agency with the approval of the director, in response to a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance, to the extent the costs are not reimbursed by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.).
  (8) For payment of all costs of actions taken pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 25358.3, to the extent that these costs are not paid by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.).
  (9) For all costs incurred by the department in cooperation with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry established pursuant to subsection (i) of Section 104 of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9604(i)) and all costs of health effects studies undertaken regarding specific sites or specific substances at specific sites. Funds appropriated for this purpose shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in a single fiscal year. However, these actions shall not duplicate reasonably available federal actions and studies.
  (10) For repayment of the principal of, and interest on, bonds sold pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 25385) of Chapter 6.8.
  (11) Direct site remediation costs.
  (12) For the department's expenses for staff to perform oversight of investigations, characterizations, removals, remediations, or long-term operation and maintenance.
  (13) For the administration and collection of the fees imposed pursuant to Section 25205.6.
  (14) For allocation to the office of the Attorney General, pursuant to an interagency agreement or similar mechanism, for the support of the Toxic Substance Enforcement Program in the office of the Attorney General, in carrying out the purposes of Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300) and Chapter 6.86 (commencing with Section 25396).
  (15) For funding the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program established pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 105440) of Part 5 of Division 103.
  (16) As provided in Sections 25214.3 and 25215.7 and, with regard to penalties recovered pursuant to Section 25214.22.1, to implement and enforce Article 10.4 (commencing with Section 25214.11).
  (17) (A) Commencing July 1, 2015, for the administration and implementation of this chapter as it applies to metal recycling facilities, which includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  (i) Conducting inspections and investigations of metal recycling facilities.
  (ii) Pursuing administrative, civil, or criminal enforcement actions, or some combination of those actions, against metal recycling facilities.
  (iii) Developing interim industry operating standards to use in enforcement actions, in part by collecting and analyzing data to identify the various types, locations, types and scale of activities, and regulatory histories of metal recycling facilities.
  (iv) Conducting outreach efforts with the metal recycling facility industry and the communities surrounding metal recycling facilities.
  (v) Developing and adopting industry-specific regulations.
  (vi) Collecting samples at or within the vicinity of metal recycling facilities and analyzing those samples.
  (B) (i) For purposes of this section only, "metal recycling facility" includes any facility receiving and handling discarded manufactured metal objects and other metal-containing wastes for the purpose of extracting the ferrous and nonferrous constituents or for the purpose of processing discarded manufactured metal objects and other metal-containing wastes in preparation for extracting the ferrous and nonferrous constituents.
  (ii) For purposes of this section only, "metal recycling facility" does not include a metal shredding facility that has been issued a nonhazardous waste determination by the department pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 66260.200 of Article 3 of Chapter 10 of Division 4.5 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations and is continuing to operate under the terms and conditions of that determination.
  (C) This paragraph shall remain operative only until June 30, 2018.
  (18) (A) Commencing July 1, 2015, for review of the department's enforcement of this chapter and the regulations implementing this chapter. This review shall include an assessment of the enforcement program, including, but not limited to, the following:
  (i) Evaluation of workload and processes for hazardous waste inspection, investigation, and enforcement activities.
  (ii) Development, revision, and standardization of policies and guidance documents for enforcement staff.
  (iii) Evaluation of statutory and regulatory provisions governing the enforcement program.
  (B) This paragraph shall remain operative only until June 30, 2017.
  (c) The funds deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account may be appropriated by the Legislature to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the State Department of Public Health for the purposes of carrying out their duties pursuant to the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 105440) of Part 5 of Division 103).
  (d) The director shall expend federal funds in the Toxic Substances Control Account consistent with the requirements specified in Section 114 of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9614), upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes for which they were provided to the state.
  (e) Money in the Toxic Substances Control Account shall not be expended to conduct removal or remedial actions if a significant portion of the hazardous substances to be removed or remedied originated from a source outside the state.
  (f) The Director of Finance, upon request of the director, may make a loan from the General Fund to the Toxic Substances Control Account to meet cash needs. The loan shall be subject to the repayment provisions of Section 16351 of the Government Code and the interest provisions of Section 16314 of the Government Code.
  (g) The Toxic Substances Control Account established pursuant to subdivision (a) is the successor fund of all of the following:
  (1) The Hazardous Substance Account established pursuant to Section 25330, as that section read on June 30, 2006.
  (2) The Hazardous Substance Clearing Account established pursuant to Section 25334, as that section read on June 30, 2006.
  (3) The Hazardous Substance Cleanup Fund established pursuant to Section 25385.3, as that section read on June 30, 2006.
  (4) The Superfund Bond Trust Fund established pursuant to Section 25385.8, as that section read on June 30, 2006.
  (h) On and after July 1, 2006, all assets, liabilities, and surplus of the accounts and funds listed in subdivision (g), shall be transferred to, and become a part of, the Toxic Substances Control Account, as provided by Section 16346 of the Government Code. All existing appropriations from these accounts, to the extent encumbered, shall continue to be available for the same purposes and periods from the Toxic Substances Control Account.
  (i) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department, on or before February 1 of each year, shall report to the Governor and the Legislature on the prior fiscal year's expenditure of funds within the Toxic Substances Control Account for the purposes specified in subdivision (b).

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that funds deposited in the Toxic Substances Control Account shall be appropriated in the annual Budget Act each year in the following manner:
  (1) Not less than six million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($6,750,000) to the Site Remediation Account in the General Fund for direct site remediation costs, as defined in Section 25337. The amount specified in this paragraph shall be increased in any fiscal year by the amount of increased revenues specified by the Legislature in the Budget Act for that fiscal year pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 25205.6.
  (2) Not less than four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) to the Expedited Site Remediation Trust Fund in the State Treasury, created pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25399.1, for purposes of paying the orphan share of response costs pursuant to former Chapter 6.85 (commencing with Section 25396).
  (3) An amount that does not exceed the costs incurred by the State Board of Equalization, a private party, or other public agency, to administer and collect the fees imposed pursuant to Article 9.1 (commencing with Section 25205.1) and deposited into the Toxic Substances Control Account, for the purpose of reimbursing the State Board of Equalization, public agency, or private party, for those costs.
  (4) Commencing with the 1999-2000 fiscal year and annually thereafter, not less than one million fifty thousand dollars ($1,050,000) for purposes of establishing and implementing a program pursuant to Sections 25244.15.1, 25244.17.1, 25244.17.2, 25244.22, and 25244.24 to encourage hazardous waste generators to implement pollution prevention measures.
  (5) Funds not appropriated as specified in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, may be appropriated for any of the purposes specified in subdivision (b) of Section 25173.6, except the purposes specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of, and paragraph (13) of, subdivision (b) of Section 25173.6.
  (b) (1) The amounts specified in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) are the amounts that the Legislature intends to appropriate for the 1998-99 fiscal year for the purposes specified in those paragraphs, and the amount specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) is the amount the Legislature intends to appropriate for the 1999-2000 fiscal year for the purposes specified in that paragraph. Beginning with the 1999-2000 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the amounts specified in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a), and beginning with the 2000-01 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the amount specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) shall be adjusted annually to reflect increases or decreases in the cost of living during the prior fiscal year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index issued by the Department of Industrial Relations or by a successor agency.
  (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the department may, upon the approval of the Legislature in a statute or the annual Budget Act, take either of the following actions:
  (A) Reduce the amounts specified in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a), if there are insufficient funds in the Toxic Substances Control Account.
  (B) Suspend the transfer specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), if there are no orphan shares pending payment pursuant to former Chapter 6.85 (commencing with Section 25396).

(a) There is in the General Fund the Hazardous Waste Control Account, which shall be administered by the director. In addition to any other money that may be deposited in the Hazardous Waste Control Account, pursuant to statute, all of the following amounts shall be deposited in the account:
  (1) The fees collected pursuant to Sections 25174.1, 25205.2, 25205.5, 25205.15, and 25205.16.
  (2) The fees collected pursuant to Section 25187.2, to the extent that those fees are for the oversight of corrective action taken under this chapter.
  (3) Any interest earned upon the money deposited in the Hazardous Waste Control Account.
  (4) Any money received from the federal government pursuant to the federal act.
  (5) Any reimbursements for funds expended from the Hazardous Waste Control Account for services provided by the department pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, the reimbursements required pursuant to Sections 25201.9 and 25205.7.
  (b) The funds deposited in the Hazardous Waste Control Account may be appropriated by the Legislature, for expenditure as follows:
  (1) To the department for the administration and implementation of this chapter.
  (2) To the department for allocation to the State Board of Equalization to pay refunds of fees collected pursuant to Sections 43051 and 43053 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and for the administration and collection of the fees imposed pursuant to Article 9.1 (commencing with Section 25205.1) that are deposited into the Hazardous Waste Control Account.
  (3) To the department for the costs of performance or review of analyses of past, present, or potential environmental public health effects related to toxic substances, including extremely hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25115, and hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25117.
  (4) (A) To the department for allocation to the office of the Attorney General for the support of the Toxic Substance Enforcement Program in the office of the Attorney General, in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
  (B) On or before October 1 of each year, the Attorney General shall report to the Legislature on the expenditure of any funds allocated to the office of the Attorney General for the preceding fiscal year pursuant to this paragraph and paragraph (14) of subdivision (b) of Section 25173.6. The report shall include all of the following:
  (i) A description of cases resolved by the office of the Attorney General through settlement or court order, including the monetary benefit to the department and the state.
  (ii) A description of injunctions or other court orders benefiting the people of the state.
  (iii) A description of any cases in which the Attorney General's Toxic Substance Enforcement Program is representing the department or the state against claims by defendants or responsible parties.
  (iv) A description of other pending litigation handled by the Attorney General's Toxic Substance Enforcement Program.
  (C) Nothing in subparagraph (C) shall require the Attorney General to report on any confidential or investigatory matter.
  (5) To the department for administration and implementation of Chapter 6.11 (commencing with Section 25404).
  (c) (1) Expenditures from the Hazardous Waste Control Account for support of state agencies other than the department shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the department, be subject to an interagency agreement or similar mechanism between the department and the state agency receiving the support.
  (2) The department shall, at the time of the release of the annual Governor's Budget, describe the budgetary amounts proposed to be allocated to the State Board of Equalization, as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) and in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25173.6, for the upcoming fiscal year.
  (3) It is the intent of the Legislature that moneys appropriated in the annual Budget Act each year for the purpose of reimbursing the State Board of Equalization, a private party, or other public agency, for the administration and collection of the fees imposed pursuant to Article 9.1 (commencing with Section 25205.1) and deposited in the Hazardous Waste Control Account, shall not exceed the costs incurred by the State Board of Equalization, the private party, or other public agency, for the administration and collection of those fees.
  (d) With respect to expenditures for the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (b) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 25173.6, the department shall, at the time of the release of the annual Governor's Budget, also make available the budgetary amounts and allocations of staff resources of the department proposed for the following activities:
  (1) The department shall identify, by permit type, the projected allocations of budgets and staff resources for hazardous waste facilities permits, including standardized permits, closure plans, and postclosure permits.
  (2) The department shall identify, with regard to surveillance and enforcement activities, the projected allocations of budgets and staff resources for the following types of regulated facilities and activities:
  (A) Hazardous waste facilities operating under a permit or grant of interim status issued by the department, and generator activities conducted at those facilities. This information shall be reported by permit type.
  (B) Transporters.
  (C) Response to complaints.
  (3) The department shall identify the projected allocations of budgets and staff resources for both of the following activities:
  (A) The registration of hazardous waste transporters.
  (B) The operation and maintenance of the hazardous waste manifest system.
  (4) The department shall identify, with regard to site mitigation and corrective action, the projected allocations of budgets and staff resources for the oversight and implementation of the following activities:
  (A) Investigations and removal and remedial actions at military bases.
  (B) Voluntary investigations and removal and remedial actions.
  (C) State match and operation and maintenance costs, by site, at joint state and federally funded National Priority List Sites.
  (D) Investigation, removal and remedial actions, and operation and maintenance at the Stringfellow Hazardous Waste Site.
  (E) Investigation, removal and remedial actions, and operation and maintenance at the Casmalia Hazardous Waste Site.
  (F) Investigations and removal and remedial actions at nonmilitary, responsible party lead National Priority List Sites.
  (G) Preremedial activities under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.).
  (H) Investigations, removal and remedial actions, and operation and maintenance at state-only orphan sites.
  (I) Investigations and removal and remedial actions at nonmilitary, non-National Priority List responsible party lead sites.
  (J) Investigations, removal and remedial actions, and operation and maintenance at Expedited Remedial Action Program sites pursuant to former Chapter 6.85 (commencing with Section 25396).
  (K) Corrective actions at hazardous waste facilities.
  (5) The department shall identify, with regard to the regulation of hazardous waste, the projected allocation of budgets and staff resources for the following activities:
  (A) Determinations pertaining to the classification of hazardous wastes.
  (B) Determinations for variances made pursuant to Section 25143.
  (C) Other determinations and responses to public inquiries made by the department regarding the regulation of hazardous waste and hazardous substances.
  (6) The department shall identify projected allocations of budgets and staff resources needed to do all of the following:
  (A) Identify, remove, store, and dispose of, suspected hazardous substances or hazardous materials associated with the investigation of clandestine drug laboratories.
  (B) Respond to emergencies pursuant to Section 25354.
  (C) Create, support, maintain, and implement the railroad accident prevention and immediate deployment plan developed pursuant to Section 7718 of the Public Utilities Code.
  (7) The department shall identify projected allocations of budgets and staff resources for the administration and implementation of the unified hazardous waste and hazardous materials regulatory program established pursuant to Chapter 6.11 (commencing with Section 25404).
  (8) The department shall identify the total cumulative expenditures of the Regulatory Structure Update and Site Mitigation Update projects since their inception, and shall identify the total projected allocations of budgets and staff resources that are needed to continue these projects.
  (9) The department shall identify the total projected allocations of budgets and staff resources that are necessary for all other activities proposed to be conducted by the department.
  (e) Notwithstanding this chapter, or Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, for any fees, surcharges, fines, penalties, and funds that are required to be deposited into the Hazardous Waste Control Account or the Toxic Substances Control Account, the department, with the approval of the Secretary for Environmental Protection, may take any of the following actions:
  (1) Assume responsibility for, or enter into a contract with a private party or with another public agency, other than the State Board of Equalization, for the collection of any fees, surcharges, fines, penalties and funds described in subdivision (a) or otherwise described in this chapter or Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300), for deposit into the Hazardous Waste Control Account or the Toxic Substances Control Account.
  (2) Administer, or by mutual agreement, contract with a private party or another public agency, for the making of those determinations and the performance of functions that would otherwise be the responsibility of the State Board of Equalization pursuant to this chapter, Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300), or Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, if those activities and functions for which the State Board of Equalization would otherwise be responsible become the responsibility of the department or, by mutual agreement, the contractor selected by the department.
  (f) If, pursuant to subdivision (e), the department, or a private party or another public agency, pursuant to a contract with the department, performs the determinations and functions that would otherwise be the responsibility of the State Board of Equalization, the department shall be responsible for ensuring that persons who are subject to the fees specified in subdivision (e) have equivalent rights to public notice and comment, and procedural and substantive rights of appeal, as afforded by the procedures of the State Board of Equalization pursuant to Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. Final responsibility for the administrative adjustment of fee rates and the administrative appeal of any fees or penalty assessments made pursuant to this section may only be assigned by the department to a public agency.
  (g) If, pursuant to subdivision (e), the department, or a private party or another public agency, pursuant to a contract with the department, performs the determinations and functions that would otherwise be the responsibility of the State Board of Equalization, the department shall have equivalent authority to make collections and enforce judgments as provided to the State Board of Equalization pursuant to Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. Unpaid amounts, including penalties and interest, shall be a perfected and enforceable state tax lien in accordance with Section 43413 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (h) The department, with the concurrence of the Secretary for Environmental Protection, shall determine which administrative functions should be retained by the State Board of Equalization, administered by the department, or assigned to another public agency or private party pursuant to subdivisions (e), (f), and (g).
  (i) The department may adopt regulations to implement subdivisions (e) to (h), inclusive.
  (j) The Director of Finance, upon request of the director, may make a loan from the General Fund to the Hazardous Waste Control Account to meet cash needs. The loan shall be subject to the repayment provisions of Section 16351 of the Government Code and the interest provisions of Section 16314 of the Government Code.
  (k) The department shall establish, within the Hazardous Waste Control Account, a reserve of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) each year to ensure that all programs funded by the Hazardous Waste Control Account will not be adversely affected by any revenue shortfalls.

(a) Each person who disposes of hazardous waste in this state shall pay a fee for the disposal of hazardous waste to land, based on the type of waste placed in a disposal site, in accordance with this section and Section 25174.6.
  (b) "Disposal fee" means the fee imposed by this section.
  (c) For purposes of this section, "dispose" and "disposal" include "disposal," as defined in Section 25113, including, but not limited to, "land treatment," as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 25205.1.
  (d) Each operator of an authorized hazardous waste facility, at which hazardous wastes are disposed, shall collect a fee from any person submitting hazardous waste for disposal and shall transmit the fees to the State Board of Equalization for the disposal of those wastes. The operator shall be considered the taxpayer for purposes of Section 43151 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. The facility operator is not required to collect and transmit the fee for a hazardous waste if the operator maintains written evidence that the hazardous waste is eligible for the exemption provided by Section 25174.7 or otherwise exempted from the fees pursuant to this chapter. The written evidence may be provided by the operator or by the person submitting the hazardous waste for disposal, and shall be maintained by the operator at the facility for a minimum of three years from the date that the waste is submitted for disposal. If the operator submits the hazardous waste for disposal, the operator shall pay the same fee as would any other person.
  (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), the disposal facility shall not be liable for the underpayment of any disposal fees for hazardous waste submitted for disposal by a person other than the operator, if the person submitting the hazardous waste to the disposal facility has done either of the following:
  (1) Mischaracterized the hazardous waste.
  (2) Misrepresented any exemptions pursuant to Section 25174.7 or any other exemption from the disposal fee provided pursuant to this chapter.
  (f) (1) Any additional payment of disposal fees that are due to the State Board of Equalization as a result of a mischaracterization of a hazardous waste, a misrepresentation of an exemption, or any other error, shall be the responsibility of the person making the mischaracterization, misrepresentation, or error.
  (2) In the event of a dispute regarding the responsibility for a mischaracterization, misrepresentation, or other error, for which additional payment of disposal fees are due, the State Board of Equalization shall assign responsibility for payment of the fee to that person, or those persons, it determines responsible for the mischaracterization, misrepresentation, or other error, provided that the person, or persons, has the right to a public hearing and comment, and the procedural and substantive rights of appeal pursuant to Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (3) Any generator, transporter, or owner or operator of a disposal facility shall report to the department and the State Board of Equalization any information regarding any such mischaracterization, misrepresentation, or error, which could affect the disposal fee, within 30 days of that information first becoming known to that person.
  (g) The State Board of Equalization shall deposit the fees collected pursuant to this section in the Hazardous Waste Control Account, for expenditure by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature.
  (h) The operator of the facility that disposes of the hazardous waste to land shall provide to every person who submits hazardous waste for disposal at the facility a statement showing the amount of hazardous waste fees payable pursuant to this section.
  (i) Any person who disposes of hazardous waste at any site that is not an authorized hazardous waste facility shall be responsible for payment of fees pursuant to this section and shall be the taxpayer for purposes of Section 43151 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (j) Any administrative savings that are derived by the state as a result of changes made to this section during the 1995-96 Regular Session of the Legislature shall be made available to the department and reflected in the annual Budget Act.

(a) The base rate for the hazardous wastes specified in Section 25174.6 which are disposed of or submitted for disposal in the state is eighty-five dollars and twenty-four cents ($85.24) per ton for disposal of hazardous waste to land.
  (b) The base rate specified in subdivision (a) is the base rate for the period of January 1, 1997, to December 31, 1997. Beginning with calendar year 1998, and for each year thereafter, the State Board of Equalization shall adjust the base rate annually to reflect increases or decreases in the cost of living during the prior fiscal year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index issued by the Department of Industrial Relations or a successor agency.
  (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2001.

(a) The fee provided pursuant to Section 25174.1 shall be determined as a percentage of the base rate, as adjusted by the State Board of Equalization, pursuant to Section 25174.2, or as otherwise provided by this section. The procedure for determining these fees is as follows:
  (1) The following fees shall be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof for up to the first 5,000 tons of the following hazardous wastes disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state at each specific offsite facility by each producer, or at each specific onsite facility, per month, if the hazardous wastes are not otherwise subject to the fee specified in paragraph (3) or (4) and are not otherwise exempt from the fees imposed pursuant to this article:
  (A) For non-RCRA hazardous waste, excluding asbestos, generated in a remedial action, a removal action, or a corrective action taken pursuant to this chapter, Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280), Chapter 6.75 (commencing with Section 25299.10), or Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300), or generated in any other required or voluntary cleanup, removal, or remediation of a hazardous substance or non-RCRA hazardous waste, a fee of five dollars and seventy-two cents ($5.72) per ton.
  (B) For all other non-RCRA hazardous waste, a fee of 16.31 percent of the base rate for each ton.
  (2) Thirteen percent of the base rate for each ton, or fraction thereof, shall be paid for up to the first 5,000 tons of hazardous waste disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state, at each specific offsite facility by each producer, or at each specific onsite facility, per month, which result from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals, including phosphate rock and the overburden from the mining of uranium ore and which is not otherwise subject to the fee specified in paragraph (3) or (4).
  (3) Two hundred percent of the base rate shall be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof, of extremely hazardous waste disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state.
  (4) Two hundred percent of the base rate shall be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof, of restricted hazardous wastes listed in subdivision (b) of Section 25122.7 disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state.
  (5) Forty and four-tenths percent of the base rate shall be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof, of hazardous waste disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state, which is not otherwise subject to the fees specified in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), or (6).
  (6) Five percent of the base rate shall be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof, of hazardous waste disposed of, or submitted for disposal, in the state, that is a solid hazardous waste residue resulting from incineration or dechlorination. No fees shall be imposed pursuant to this paragraph on a solid hazardous waste residue resulting from incineration or dechlorination which is disposed of, or submitted for disposal, outside of the state.
  (7) Fifty percent of the fee that would otherwise be paid for each ton, or fraction thereof, of hazardous waste disposed of in the state, that is a solid hazardous waste residue resulting from treatment of a treatable waste by means of a designated treatment technology, as defined in Section 25179.2. No fees shall be imposed pursuant to this paragraph on a solid hazardous waste residue resulting from treatment of a treatable waste by means of a designated treatment technology that is not a hazardous waste or which is disposed of, or submitted for disposal, outside of the state.
  (b) The amount of fees payable to the State Board of Equalization pursuant to this section shall be calculated using the total wet weight, measured in tons or fractions thereof, of the hazardous waste in the form in which the hazardous waste existed at the time of disposal, submission for disposal, or application to land using a land disposal method, as defined in Section 66260.10 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, if all of the following apply:
  (1) The weight of any nonhazardous reagents or treatment additives added to the waste, after it has been submitted for disposal, for purposes of rendering the waste less hazardous, shall not be included in those calculations.
  (2) Except as provided by paragraph (7) of subdivision (a), any RCRA hazardous waste received, treated, and disposed at the disposal facility shall be subject to a disposal fee pursuant to this section as if it were a non-RCRA hazardous waste, if the waste, due to treatment, is no longer a RCRA hazardous waste at the time of disposal.
  (c) All fees imposed by this section shall be paid in accordance with Part 22 (commencing with Section 43001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2001.

(a) The fees provided for in Sections 25174.1 and 25205.5 do not apply to any of the following:
  (1) Hazardous wastes which result when a government agency, or its contractor, removes or remedies a release of hazardous waste in the state caused by another person.
  (2) Hazardous wastes generated or disposed of by a public agency operating a household hazardous waste collection facility in the state pursuant to Article 10.8 (commencing with Section 25218), including, but not limited to, hazardous waste received from conditionally exempt small quantity commercial generators, authorized pursuant to Section 25218.3.
  (3) Hazardous wastes generated or disposed of by local vector control agencies which have entered into a cooperative agreement pursuant to Section 116180 or by county agricultural commissioners, if the hazardous wastes result from their control or regulatory activities and if they comply with the requirements of this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
  (4) Hazardous waste disposed of, or submitted for disposal or treatment, by any person, which is discovered and separated from solid waste as part of a load checking program.
  (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), any person responsible for a release of hazardous waste, which has been removed or remedied by a government agency, or its contractor, shall pay the fee pursuant to Section 25174.1.
  (c) Any person who acquires land for the sole purpose of owner-occupied single-family residential use, and who acquires that land without actual or constructive notice or knowledge that there is a tank containing hazardous waste on or under that property, is exempt from the fees imposed pursuant to Sections 25174.1, 25205.5, and 25345, in connection with the removal of the tank.

The Hazardous Waste Control Account is the successor fund of the Federal Receipts Account that was established pursuant to Section 25174.8, as that section read on January 1, 1999. All assets, liabilities, and surplus of the Federal Receipts Account shall, as of June 30, 1999, be transferred to, and become a part of the Hazardous Waste Control Account, as provided by Section 16346 of the Government Code. All existing appropriations from the Federal Receipts Account, to the extent encumbered, and also those which had been made for particular projects from the Federal Receipts Account, shall continue to be available for the same purposes and periods from the Hazardous Waste Control Account.

Section 25174.1 does not apply to the previous disposal of mining waste that is subsequently classified as nonhazardous pursuant to the department's California Assessment Manual criteria regulations set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 66300) of Chapter 30 of Division 4 of Title 22 of the California Administrative Code, which became effective October 27, 1984, and disposal fees shall not be assessed pursuant to Section 25174.1 for that waste if the waste previously disposed of is not significantly different from the waste classified as nonhazardous.

(a) (1) The department shall prepare and adopt, by regulation, a list, and on or before January 1, 2002, and when appropriate thereafter, shall revise, by regulation, that list, of specified hazardous wastes that the department finds are economically and technologically feasible to recycle either onsite or at an offsite commercial hazardous waste recycling facility in the state, taking into consideration various factors that shall include, but are not limited to, the quantities of, concentrations of, and potential contaminants in, these hazardous wastes, the number and location of recycling facilities, and the proximity of these facilities to hazardous waste generators.
  (2) Whenever any hazardous waste on the list adopted or revised pursuant to paragraph (1) is transported offsite for disposal, the department may request, in writing, by certified mail with return receipt requested, and the generator of that waste shall supply the department with a formal, complete, and detailed statement justifying why the waste was not recycled, in writing, by certified mail with return receipt requested, within 30 calendar days of receipt of the department's request. This statement shall include the generator's assessment of the economic and technological feasibility of recycling the wastes and may include, but is not required to be limited to, the generator's good faith determination that sending the hazardous waste to any recycling facility where it is feasible to recycle that hazardous waste would constitute an unacceptable environmental or business risk. This determination by the generator shall be based upon an environmental audit or other reasonably diligent investigation of the environmental and other relevant business practices of the recycling facility or facilities where it would otherwise be feasible to recycle the waste. If the request is made of any entity listed in Section 25118 other than an individual, the statement shall be issued by the responsible management of that entity. The department shall keep confidential any trade secrets contained in that statement.
  (3) On or before January 1, 2002, the department shall establish a procedure for the department to independently verify whether any hazardous waste identified in the list adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) is disposed of, rather than recycled. The department shall, on or before January 1, 2002, prepare and adopt those regulations that the department finds necessary to ensure that it can fully perform its duties pursuant to subdivisions (k) and ( l) of Section 25170 to encourage the exchange of hazardous waste and to establish and maintain an information clearinghouse of hazardous wastes that may be recyclable.
  (4) On or before July 1, 2000, the department shall establish an advisory committee to advise the department on the development of the regulations required or authorized by this section and on the department's implementation of this section. The advisory committee shall consist of representatives of generators, hazardous waste facility operators, environmental organizations, the Legislature, and other interested parties.
  (5) In determining to which generators the department will send the request specified in paragraph (2), the department shall give priority to notifying generators transporting offsite for disposal more than 1000 pounds per year of the type of hazardous waste that would be the subject of the request, to the extent this prioritization is feasible within the information management capabilities of the department.
  (b) (1) If, after the department receives a statement from a generator pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the department finds the recycling of a hazardous waste to be economically and technologically feasible, the department shall inform the generator, in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, that 30 days after the date the generator receives notice of the department's finding, any of the generators' hazardous waste transported offsite to which the department's finding applies shall, after that date, be recycled. The department may establish procedures for rescinding or modifying any finding made by the department pursuant to this paragraph if there is a pertinent change in circumstances related to that finding.
  (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the department shall not find the recycling of a hazardous waste to be economically and technologically feasible if a generator includes a good faith determination in the statement submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) that sending its hazardous waste to any recycling facility where it is otherwise feasible to recycle the hazardous waste constitutes an unacceptable environmental or business risk.
  (c) A generator who does not recycle a hazardous waste after the generator receives a notice of the departments' findings pursuant to subdivision (b) that the hazardous waste is economically and technologically feasible to recycle is subject to five times the disposal fee that would otherwise apply to the disposal of that hazardous waste pursuant to Section 25174.1.
  (d) For purposes of this section, "recycle" and "recycling" shall have the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 25121.1.

The department may report findings and results of an investigation which the department undertakes pertaining to subject matter governed by this chapter, except for trade secrets as provided in Section 25173. The department may distribute such information as it considers necessary for the protection of the public or for the protection of human health, domestic livestock, wildlife, and the environment and to ensure the best use of natural resources. The department may publish reports summarizing or containing any order of the director or any judgment or court order which has been rendered pursuant to this chapter, including the nature of the charge and its disposition.

On or before January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the department shall post on its Web site, at a minimum, all of the following:
  (a) The status of the regulatory and program developments required pursuant to legislative mandates.
  (b) (1) The status of the hazardous waste facilities permit program that shall include all of the following information:
  (A) A description of the final hazardous waste facilities permit applications received.
  (B) The number of final hazardous waste facilities permits issued to date.
  (C) The number of final hazardous waste facilities permits yet to be issued.
  (D) A complete description of the reasons why the final hazardous waste facilities permits yet to be issued have not been issued.
  (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), "hazardous waste facility" means a facility that uses a land disposal method, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 25179.2, and that disposes of wastes regulated as hazardous waste pursuant to the federal act.
  (c) The status of the hazardous waste facilities siting program.
  (d) The status of the hazardous waste abandoned sites program.
  (e) A summary of enforcement actions taken by the department pursuant to this chapter and any other actions relating to hazardous waste management.
  (f) Summary data on annual quantities and types of hazardous waste generated, transported, treated, stored, and disposed.
  (g) Summary data regarding onsite and offsite disposition of hazardous waste.
  (h) Research activity initiated by the department.
  (i) Regulatory action by other agencies relating to hazardous waste management.
  (j) A revised listing of recyclable materials showing any additions or deletions to the list prepared pursuant to Section 25175 that have occurred since the last report.
  (k) Any other data considered pertinent by the department to hazardous waste management.
  (l) The information specified in subdivision (c) of Section 25161, paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 25197.1, subdivision (c) of Section 25354, and Sections 25334.7, and 25356.5.
  (m) A status report on the cleanup of the McColl Hazardous Waste Disposal Site in Orange County.

The State Board of Equalization shall provide quarterly reports to the Legislature on the fees collected pursuant to Sections 25174.1, 25205.2, and 25205.5. The reports shall be due on the 15th day of the second month following each quarter.

(a) The director shall notify the Republic of Mexico and every state which is contiguous to this state whenever any of the following occurs:
  (1) Any hazardous wastes listed pursuant to Section 25140 is restricted as to land disposal in the state.
  (2) A hazardous waste regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq.), is restricted as to land disposal in the state on a more accelerated schedule than that implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  (3) The state takes any other action to restrict wastes as to land disposal, including banning or increasing disposal fees on specific categories of hazardous waste.
  (4) The department or a state or federal agency requires the closure of, or curtailment of operations at, any offsite hazardous waste land disposal facility currently operating pursuant to a grant of interim status issued pursuant to Section 25200.5 or a final permit issued pursuant to Section 25200.
  (b) When providing a notice pursuant to subdivision (a), the director shall send a letter by registered mail to a public official in the Republic of Mexico and in each state who the director determines to have responsibility for hazardous waste regulation. The letter shall include all of the following:
  (1) A description of the action taken in the state and documentation as to why this state felt it necessary to take the action to protect the public health and the environment.
  (2) Specific information on treatment alternatives available to reduce, recycle, treat, or destroy the hazardous wastes affected by the action.
  (3) The availability of the treatment capacity in this state, and the costs of that treatment.
  (4) Information as to how the state or Mexico could develop comparable treatment systems.
  (5) A statement that it is not the intent of the citizens of this state to transfer their hazardous waste problems to the Republic of Mexico or to other states.

(a) A city or county or an agency or entity established by a joint powers agreement pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code may enter into a contract or contracts with a business entity for the purpose of planning, financing, constructing, and operating an offsite hazardous waste facility to transfer or treat hazardous waste.
  (b) The authority granted by this section to a city, county, agency, or entity is in addition to any other authority granted by law.
  (c) For purposes of this section, "business entity" means any private organization or enterprise operated for profit, including, but not limited to, a proprietorship, partnership, firm, business, trust, joint venture, syndicate, corporation, or association.