BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 1261
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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 1261 (Jackson)
          As Amended  June 12, 2014
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :29-5  
           
           ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY        7-0 APPROPRIATIONS      17-0        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Alejo, Dahle, Bloom,      |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow,           |
          |     |Donnelly, Gomez,          |     |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian  |
          |     |Lowenthal, Ting           |     |Calderon, Campos,         |
          |     |                          |     |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez,  |
          |     |                          |     |Holden, Jones, Linder,    |
          |     |                          |     |Pan, Quirk,               |
          |     |                          |     |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner,    |
          |     |                          |     |Lowenthal                 |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Revises and recasts the area and business plan  
          requirements for certified unified program agencies (CUPAs).   
          Specifically,  this bill  :   

          1)Requires the California Environmental Protection Agency  
            (Cal/EPA), in coordination with Office of Emergency Services  
            (OES), to specify the hazardous materials inventory required  
            to be submitted by handlers, including the data to be  
            collected and submitted for hazardous materials.  Revises the  
            information required to be included in the business plan, and  
            makes other updates to the unified hazardous waste and  
            hazardous materials management regulatory program.

          2)Requires the CUPAs to exempt from specified reporting  
            requirements an unstaffed facility located at least one-half  
            mile from the nearest occupied structure, unless required by a  
            local ordinance.  Requires the facility to make a one-time  
            business plan submittal that will not be required to include  
            specified elements of the plan and repeals the authorization  
            for the CUPA to require an unstaffed remote facility to submit  
            a plan and inventory.

          3)Requires the handler to submit the business plan annually, and  








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            requires a business to at least annually review and verify  
            that the business plan information in the statewide  
            information management system meets specified requirements.

          4)Requires the CUPA to make the information in the statewide  
            information management system available to the public.

             5)   Provides a definition of "Consumer Product" to specify  
               that consumer products are not subject to business plan  
               requirements.

             6)   Limits the definition of retail establishment to require  
               retail pesticide supply companies to be subject to business  
               plans and reporting.

             7)   Provides that only non-flammable gases defined in the  
               California Fire Code for use in refrigeration systems and  
               refrigerant gases, other than ammonia, in a closed system  
               used in comfort or space cooling for computer rooms are  
               exempt from business plans.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, costs for this bill would be minor and absorbable  
          within the existing Cal/EPA budget.

           COMMENTS  :   

          Need for the bill:  According to the author, "SB 1261 updates,  
          rearranges, and clarifies Health and Safety Code Chapter 6.95,  
          Article 1 Section 25500 et seq.  The purpose of the bill is to  
          modernize the provisions of this statute, which addresses the  
          unified hazardous and hazardous materials management regulatory  
          program.  These changes will ensure that the program functions  
          more efficiently and effectively."

          Certified Unified Program Agencies:  The Secretary of Cal/EPA  
          has established a "unified hazardous waste and hazardous  
          materials management" regulatory program (Unified Program).   
          Currently, there are 83 CUPAs in California.  The Unified  
          Program consolidates, coordinates the following six existing  
          programs:

          1)Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventories;









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          2)California Accidental Release Prevention Program;

          3)Underground Storage Tank Program;

          4)Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act;

          5)Hazardous Waste Generator and Onsite Hazardous Waste Treatment  
            Programs; and,

          6)California Uniform Fire Code:  Hazardous Material Management  
            Plans and Hazardous Material Inventory Statements.

          Related legislation:  AB 1620 (Wieckowski), Chapter 190,  
          Statutes of 2012 , modified the definition of hazardous waste  
          treatment so that various types of activities that often take  
          place when hazardous wastes are accumulated or stored are  
          exempted from the regulatory requirements that apply to  
          hazardous waste treatment facilities.  

          SB 483 (Jackson), Chapter 419, Statutes of 2013, made various  
          changes to update, rearrange, and clarify provisions of the  
          health and safety related to CUPAs.

          AB 2748 (Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee) of  
          the current legislative session, provides that a business that  
          handles paint that will be recycled or otherwise managed under  
          an architectural paint recovery program approved by the  
          Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is only required  
          to establish and implement a hazardous materials business plan  
          if it handles postconsumer (leftover) paint above specified  
          quantities.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Bob Fredenburg / E.S. & T.M. / (916)  
          319-3965                                               


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