News Release:  Governor Signs 25 Key Environmental Protection Bills)

For Immediate Release (C-58-95)
Contact: Communications Office (916) 324-9670
October 24, 1995

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 525
Sacramento, CA 95814

SACRAMENTO -- The California Environmental Protection Agency announced the signing of 25 key bills which reflect Governor Wilson's environmental priorities.

"1995 was an excellent legislative year for Cal/EPA.  Many of our most important proposals moved through the legislature and were signed by Governor Wilson.

Our primary focus has been making significant regulatory reforms which retain California's high environmental standards and promote economic progress," California Secretary for Environmental Protection James M. Strock said.

The following key bills were signed during the last 30 days:

AB 59 (Sher) -- Administrative Penalties -- Authorizes IWMB and local enforcement agencies (LEAs) to impose administrative civil penalties  for waste facility operators who fail to bring their operations into compliance with state minimum standards and local permit conditions.

AB 483 (Alpert) --  Hazardous Waste Recycling Facilities Permits -- (1) Exempts the on -site puncturing, draining, and crushing of aerosol cans, and the onsite separation of used oil from water from the requirement to obtain a hazardous waste facility permit; (2) Requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), on or before January 1, 1997, to adopt regulations exempting totally enclosed treatment units from the permitting requirement and exempting reclaimed secondary materials from the requirements of the hazardous waste control laws; and (3) Requires DTSC, on or before July 1, 1997, to complete an evaluation of the requirement of operators conducting hazardous waste management activities to conduct a phase I environmental assessment.

AB 1060 (Richter) -- Hazardous Waste Storage Piles-- Revises the definition of the term "storage facility" as it relates to hazardous waste by specifying that the hazardous waste may be held at any facility for any period of time, unless the hazardous waste is held for remediation waste staging.

AB 1245 (Frusetta) -- Hazardous Waste Transportation Permits -- Increases the time limit of a "storage facility", at which hazardous waste is held pursuant to certain requirements, to 10 days for transfer facilities in areas zoned industrial by the local planning authority, and provides for an increase in those time limits with regard to emergency release response.

AB 1540 (Weggeland) -- Treatability Study Samples -- Revises the amounts which may be handled as a treatability study sample, depending upon the amount of acutely hazardous waste in the sample, and would allow a sample to be retained up to 2 years for a study involving bioremediation.

AB 1777 (Brewer) -- Emissions Credit Trading --  Requires the Air Resources Board to develop and adopt a methodology to ensure the "interchangeability" of emission reduction credits from stationary, mobile, indirect, and area-wide sources.

AB 1876 (Richter)  -- Private Site Manager Program -- Authorizes private site managers certified by Cal/EPA to conduct investigations of potential hazardous substance release sites.  

AB 1906 (Sher) -- Consolidated Hazardous Waste Fees -- Requires the State Board of Equalization to establish a consolidated statement that sets forth the amount of fees required to be paid by a generator and requires the generator to make semiannual payments of consolidated fees in accordance with regulations adopted by the board.

AB 1962 (Figueroa) -- Hazardous Waste Program -- Requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to pursue alternative cleanup strategies before declaring property a state Superfund site.

AB 1966 (Figueroa) -- Environmental and Pollution Control -- Extends the deadlines for granting conditional authorization for treatment of spent cleaners and conditioners which are hazardous solely because of the presence of copper or copper compounds.

SB 37 (Kelley) -- Vehicle Fuel Regulations -- Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to determine the cost-effectiveness, technological feasibility, and economic impacts of proposed motor vehicle fuel regulations. The bill also would require the ARB to consult with significantly impacted parties to identify actions that may be necessary to ensure consumer acceptance, product availability, acceptable performance and equipment reliability.

SB 130 (Costa) -- Waste Oil Recovery and Storage -- Allows specified recyclable material to be exempted from hazardous waste control laws.

SB 163 (Johannessen) -- Automotive Fuel Penalties -- Revises the method of computing penalties for violations of automotive fuel laws and regulations.

SB 205 (Kelley) -- Sewage Sludge Waivers -- Requires the State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards to prescribe general Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) for the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land.

SB 283 (Costa) -- Economic Poisons: Emergency Registration -- This bill would permit the Director of Pesticide Regulation to issue a certificate of emergency registration for a pesticide product under certain conditions.

SB 501 (Calderon)  -- Vehicle Scrappage -- Creates a market-based, high-emitting car scrappage program to implement a provision of the State Implementation Plan.

SB 572 (Kelly) -- Waste Discharge Requirements -- Authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Boards to issue standardized permits for certain types of projects.

SB 772 (Hurtt) -- Trip Reduction Programs -- Limits the South Coast Air District's authority to impose employer trip reduction requirements.

SB 1107 (Leslie)  -- Unified Program Agencies-- Permits the Secretary for Environmental Protection to waive the requirement that a county impose a unified program surcharge if the Secretary makes specified findings regarding the assessment of that surcharge.

SB 1108  (Leslie) -- Abandoned Mines Drainage -- Limits the liability of State agencies and good samaritans who cleanup projects at abandoned mines that are polluting California's waterways. 

SB 1135 (Costa) -- Hazardous Waste Transportation and Permits -- Amends the definition of the term "storage facility" by deleting the reference to containers or tanks, and allows the department to extend that 90-day period, and specify the manner in which the waste may be held.  The measure also deletes a provision regarding the holding of liquid hazardous waste at on site facilities from the definition of storage facility.

SB 1191 (Calderon) -- Hazardous Waste Unified Program -- Revise the provisions regulating hazardous waste, the storage of hazardous substances in underground storage tanks, and the handling of hazardous materials.  Also, requires a unified program agency to develop and implement an inspection program for specified persons. 

SB 1222 (Calderon) -- Hazardous Waste Management Reform Act of 1995 --  Revises several statutes related to the classification, treatment, permitting and fees associated with hazardous waste.

The bill also creates a task force to propose a new funding mechanism for the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

SB 1291 (Wright) -- Hazardous Waste Facilities Permits -- Allows a generator conducting conditionally authorized treatment to also perform treatments eligible for conditional exemption; allows any facility authorized to operate under a permit-by-rule
to also conduct any waste stream and treatment process combination eligible for operation under a grant of conditional authorization or exemption.

SB 1319 (Calderon) -- Hazardous Substances Account -- Extends the effective date of the Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substances Account Act (State Superfund) to July 1, 1998. 

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