Section 13274 Of Article 4. Waste Discharge Requirements From California Water Code >> Division 7. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 4.
13274
. (a) (1) The state board or a regional board, upon receipt of
applications for waste discharge requirements for discharges of
dewatered, treated, or chemically fixed sewage sludge and other
biological solids, shall prescribe general waste discharge
requirements for that sludge and those other solids. General waste
discharge requirements shall replace individual waste discharge
requirements for sewage sludge and other biological solids, and their
prescription shall be considered to be a ministerial action.
(2) The general waste discharge requirements shall set minimum
standards for agronomic applications of sewage sludge and other
biological solids and the use of that sludge and those other solids
as a soil amendment or fertilizer in agriculture, forestry, and
surface mining reclamation, and may permit the transportation of that
sludge and those other solids and the use of that sludge and those
other solids at more than one site. The requirements shall include
provisions to mitigate significant environmental impacts, potential
soil erosion, odors, the degradation of surface water quality or fish
or wildlife habitat, the accidental release of hazardous substances,
and any potential hazard to the public health or safety.
(b) The state board or a regional board, in prescribing general
waste discharge requirements pursuant to this section, shall comply
with Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public
Resources Code and guidelines adopted pursuant to that division, and
shall consult with the State Air Resources Board, the Department of
Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Resources Recycling and
Recovery.
(c) The state board or a regional board may charge a reasonable
fee to cover the costs incurred by the board in the administration of
the application process relating to the general waste discharge
requirements prescribed pursuant to this section.
(d) Notwithstanding any other law, except as specified in
subdivisions (f) to (i), inclusive, general waste discharge
requirements prescribed by a regional board pursuant to this section
supersede regulations adopted by any other state agency to regulate
sewage sludge and other biological solids applied directly to
agricultural lands at agronomic rates.
(e) The state board or a regional board shall review general waste
discharge requirements for possible amendment upon the request of
any state agency, including, but not limited to, the Department of
Food and Agriculture and the State Department of Public Health, if
the board determines that the request is based on new information.
(f) This section is not intended to affect the jurisdiction of the
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to regulate the
handling of sewage sludge or other biological solids for composting,
deposit in a landfill, or other use.
(g) This section is not intended to affect the jurisdiction of the
State Air Resources Board or an air pollution control district or
air quality management district to regulate the handling of sewage
sludge or other biological solids for incineration.
(h) This section is not intended to affect the jurisdiction of the
Department of Food and Agriculture in enforcing Sections 14591 and
14631 of the Food and Agricultural Code and any regulations adopted
pursuant to those sections, regarding the handling of sewage sludge
and other biological solids sold or used as fertilizer or as a soil
amendment.
(i) This section does not restrict the authority of a local
government agency to regulate the application of sewage sludge and
other biological solids to land within the jurisdiction of that
agency, including, but not limited to, the planning authority of the
Delta Protection Commission, the resource management plan of which is
required to be implemented by local government general plans.