Bill Text: CA SB575 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Hazardous waste facility permits: regulations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB575 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB575-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Senate  March 04, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 575


Introduced by Senator Durazo
(Coauthor: Senator Gonzalez)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cristina Garcia and Santiago)

February 18, 2021


An act to amend add Section 25200.21 of 25200.21.5 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to hazardous waste.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 575, as amended, Durazo. Hazardous waste facility permits: regulations.
Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control, on or before January 1, 2018, to adopt regulations establishing or updating criteria used to issue a new, modified, or renewed hazardous waste facility facilities permit, which may include criteria for the denial or suspension of a permit. Existing law requires the department to consider for inclusion as criteria specified matters. Existing law requires the department to consider for inclusion in the regulations specified criteria, including, but not limited to, the number and types of past violations that will result in a denial of a hazardous waste facilities permit. The department’s regulations, known as the Violations Scoring Procedure, require the department to calculate an annual Facility Violations Scoring Procedure Score or Facility VSP Score for a permitted hazardous waste facility by adding the provisional or final inspection violation scores, as described, for each compliance inspection, as defined, conducted during the preceding 10-year period, divided by the number of compliance inspections that occurred during that 10-year period. Existing law requires the department to assign a hazardous waste facility to one of 3 compliance tiers, which consist of acceptable, conditionally acceptable, and unacceptable, based on the facility’s Facility VSP Score and to take certain actions, including, but not limited to, taking steps to modify, deny, suspend, or revoke a hazardous waste facilities permit, if the facility falls within a conditionally unacceptable or unacceptable compliance tier.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision. require the department, on or before January 1, 2023, to revise its Violations Scoring Procedure regulations to calculate the Facility VSP Score of a hazardous waste facility for the 2022 calendar year, and annually thereafter, by adding the provisional or final inspection violation scores for each compliance inspection conducted during the preceding 10-year period. The bill would prohibit the department from dividing the sum of the provisional and final inspection violation scores by the number of compliance inspections that occurred during that 10-year period. The bill would continue to require the department to assign a hazardous waste facility to a compliance tier based on the facility’s Facility VSP Score, but would revise the numerical ranges for each compliance tier.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 25200.21.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

25200.21.5.
 (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following definitions:
(1) “Facility VSP Score” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 66271.50 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) “Compliance inspection” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 66271.50 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(3) “Compliance tier” means the category into which the department places a hazardous waste facility pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 66271.54 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations as a result of the facility’s Facility VSP Score for purposes of determining whether to issue, renew, modify, deny, or suspend the facility’s hazardous waste facilities permit pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66271.50) of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(b) On or before January 1, 2023, the department shall revise its regulations adopted pursuant to Section 25200.21 establishing or updating criteria used to issue, renew, modify, deny, or suspend a hazardous waste facilities permit to do both of the following:
(1) Calculate the Facility VSP Score of a hazardous waste facility subject to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66271.50) of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations for the 2022 calendar year, and annually thereafter, by adding the provisional or final inspection violation scores, as described in Section 66271.53 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, for each compliance inspection conducted during the preceding 10-year period. The department shall not divide the sum of these provisional and final inspection violation scores by the number of compliance inspections that occurred during the preceding 10-year period in calculating the Facility VSP Score.
(2) Assign a hazardous waste facility to a compliance tier based on a Facility VSP Score as follows:
(A) “Acceptable.” A facility that receives a Facility VSP Score of less than 100 shall be designated as having a Facility VSP Score that is acceptable.
(B) “Conditionally Acceptable.” A facility that receives a Facility VSP Score equal to or greater than 100 and less than 250 shall be designated as having a Facility VSP Score that is conditionally acceptable.
(C) “Unacceptable.” A facility that receives a Facility VSP Score equal to or greater than 250 shall be designated as having a Facility VSP Score that is unacceptable.
(c) The department shall make any other revisions to its regulations adopted pursuant to Section 25200.21 that are necessary to implement this section.
(d) For purposes of this section, all references to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations refer to those regulations as they existed on January 1, 2021.

SECTION 1.Section 25200.21 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
25200.21.

On or before January 1, 2018, the department shall adopt regulations establishing or updating criteria used for the issuance of a new or modified permit or renewal of a permit, which may include criteria for the denial or suspension of a permit. In addition to any other criteria the department may establish or update in these regulations, the department shall consider for inclusion as criteria all of the following:

(a)The number and types of past violations that will result in a denial.

(b)The vulnerability of, and existing health risks to, nearby populations. The department shall assess vulnerability and existing health risks using available tools, local and regional health risk assessments, the region’s federal Clean Air Act attainment status, and other indicators of community vulnerability, cumulative impact, and potential risks to health and well-being.

(c)Minimum setback distances from sensitive receptors, such as schools, child care facilities, residences, hospitals, elder care facilities, and other sensitive locations.

(d)Evidence of financial responsibility and qualifications of ownership.

(e)Provision of financial assurances pursuant to Section 25200.1.

(f)Training of personnel in the safety culture and plans, emergency plans, and maintenance of operations.

(g)Completion of a health risk assessment.

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