BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1620
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 28, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

               AB 1620 (Wieckowski) - As Introduced:  February 8, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              Environmental 
          Safety and Toxic Materials                    Vote: 8-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill adds the following activities to those activities 
          exempt from hazardous waste treatment requirements if the 
          activities are conducted onsite or at facility with a hazardous 
          waste storage permit:

          1)Separation of air and particulate matter by physical means.

          2)Compaction of compatible waste by physical means to reduce 
            volume if the process does not increase the risk of fire or 
            cause the release of hazardous gaseous emissions.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible state costs, if any.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The sponsor-the California Association of 
            Environmental Health Administrators-contends it is unnecessary 
            to regulate as hazardous waste treatment low-risk activities, 
            such as separating airborne dust from air and compacting oily 
            rags, that meet the technical definition of hazardous waste 
            treatment.  The sponsor reports that the exemptions provided 
            by this bill were developed by the Southern California 
            Technical Hazardous Waste Advisory Group to the Certified 
            Unified Program Agency (CUPA) Forum Board.

           2)Background  .  Current law requires any person who stores, 
            treats or disposes of hazardous waste to obtain a permit or 
            authorization from the Department of Toxic Substances Control. 








                                                                  AB 1620
                                                                  Page  2

             The law exempts certain activities from this requirement if 
            they are performed onsite or at a facility with a hazardous 
            waste permit.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081