Welcome to the State of California

Accomplishments & Priorities - Semiannual Report

Office of the Secretary

July 2001 - December 2001

The mission of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) is to restore, protect, and enhance the environment to ensure public health, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Cal/EPA’s vision is of a California that enjoys a clean, healthy, sustainable environment that sustains the quality of life for current and future generations, and protects our diverse natural resources.

Sustainability and Environmental Management Systems

Sustainability, the cornerstone of Cal/EPA’s vision, reflects the interconnectedness of the environment, the economy, and social equity. It is a path forward through which we demonstrate responsibility for our future legacy. Cal/EPA’s strategic vision promotes the use of integrated approaches to improving environmental performance as part of its sustainability principles. An environmental management system (EMS) is one such systematic approach to ensuring that environmental activities are well managed in any organization.

In 1999, Cal/EPA launched an innovation initiative to evaluate the environmental and public information benefits of EMS. Cal/EPA initiated pilot projects in the agriculture, manufacturing, computer components, defense, metal plating, and beverage industries, along with municipal sewage facilities. The pilot projects represent various stages of EMS implementation to evaluate whether and how the use of an EMS:

· Increases public health and environmental protection.

· Provides better public information than existing regulatory requirements.

With the completion of this study, the emphasis in 2002 will be to further explore ways to use an integrated set of approaches to address multi-media (for example, air, water, land) environmental issues.

Accomplishments

1. EMS Pilot Projects: Cal/EPA has collected and evaluated data on changes in environmental performance, regulatory compliance, pollution prevention, stakeholder involvement, and the quantity and quality of environmental information available to the public resulting from EMS implementation. A final draft report includes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the pilot projects. Cal/EPA has shared these findings with stakeholders in advisory group sessions, workshops, and informal meetings. Stakeholder input will be incorporated into the final report.

2. Sustainable Silicon Valley: An organizing team consisting of representatives from 41 business, government, and public interest organizations developed an interactive Web site to enlist the assistance of interested parties from the Silicon Valley in the identification and ranking of significant environmental and resource pressures. The team has identified “Red light” pressures (those requiring immediate regional action through creation-or enhancement-of existing management structures).

3. Steering Committee: Cal/EPA established a sustainability steering committee and charged this group with the task of promoting and coordinating agencywide efforts to promote sustainability, including innovative management systems.

Priorities

1. EMS Pilot Project Final Report: The final report will be provided to the Legislature by March 31, 2002, which will conclude this project.

2. Sector/Regional Projects: Cal/EPA will promote sector/regional projects to address environmentally significant issues that are cross-media in nature. Such projects are appropriate where new approaches, or combinations of traditional and innovative approaches, will make better progress.

3. Sustainable Silicon Valley: Cal/EPA will collect baseline data on red light pressures and perform analysis. The organizing team will develop a collaborative process to select one or more of the red light pressures for coordinated improvement actions by the involved parties and will create an implementation team.

4. Environmental Leadership Academy: Cal/EPA will develop a California Environmental Leadership Academy. The Academy will enhance the capacity of future public sector environmental leaders to recognize significant environmental pressures and develop integrated, innovative, and effective policy solutions to them. The Academy will deliver an integrated sustainability education program that explores emerging environmental policy approaches and how they might be applied to address California’s significant environmental and resource issues.

Sustainability and Pollution Prevention

Also known as source reduction, pollution prevention is an environmental protection approach that reduces or eliminates pollutants before they are generated, in contrast to more traditional regulations that seek to control pollutants via management strategies. Pollution prevention is an essential function of Cal/EPA. Its boards, departments, and offices have long included pollution prevention strategies as a preferred method for lessening the impacts of toxic and other problematic chemicals on the environment. Even so, there is much interest both within Cal/EPA and from industry and the public for an agencywide, comprehensive, multimedia approach to pollution prevention that would provide for better coordination of these activities, especially within the context of promoting sustainable management systems. The Cal/EPA strategic vision also promotes pollution prevention, supporting the “integration of pollution prevention strategies into the mainstream of the permitting and regulatory process.”

Accomplishments

1. Advisory Committee Recommendations: Cal/EPA responded formally to the recommendations of the SB 1916 Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee, of the DTSC, concerning creation of an agency-level pollution prevention program. In its response, the Secretary embraced most of the committee’s recommendations and committed to convening an agencywide committee to be responsible for coordinating their implementation.

2. Steering Committee: Cal/EPA established a Sustainability Steering Committee and charged this group with the task of promoting and coordinating an agencywide pollution prevention agenda, including recommendations from the SB 1916 Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee.

3. State Fleet Vehicle Maintenance: Cal/EPA, working with the Governor’s Office and several State agencies, exhibited State leadership in pollution prevention by garnering the support of State agencies that maintain their own fleets of vehicles to incorporate pollution prevention practices.

4. National Pollution Prevention Week: Cal/EPA celebrated National Pollution Prevention Week and participated in the Pollution Prevention Annual Western Regional Conference.

Priorities

1. P2 Partnership: Cal/EPA will enter into negotiations at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to move towards adoption of a P2 Partnership Charter between DOD and the State of California that will mutually beneficial.

2. Coordination Meetings: The Sustainability Steering Committee will host regular meetings of representatives from all Cal/EPA boards, departments and offices to:

· Discuss pollution prevention efforts.

· Identify ways to improve cross-media and cross-program coordination.

· Establish a public participation process.

· Promote sustainable management systems.

Environmental Justice Program

The program works to reduce or eliminate the disproportionate impacts of pollution on low-income and minority populations.

Accomplishments

1. Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice: Cal/EPA convened the interagency working group on environmental justice to assist the Secretary in the development and implementation of an interagency environmental justice strategy required by SB 89 (Escutia, Chapter 728, Statutes of 2000). The working group consists of the Secretary for Environmental Protection; the chairs of the Air Resources Board, the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and the State Water Resources Control Board; and the directors of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.

2. External Environmental Justice Advisory Committee: Cal/EPA appointed the external Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. The Committee will provide recommendations and will function as a resource in the development and implementation of environmental justice priorities for Cal/EPA.

3. Environmental Justice Training: Cal/EPA established an environmental justice training team to develop training courses and materials on environmental justice for all its staff. In addition, in collaboration with U.S. EPA Region 9 and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Cal/EPA continues to promote statewide environmental justice awareness for State agencies.

4. Environmental Justice Web page: Cal/EPA established an environmental justice Web site to facilitate increased access to environmental information and resources for stakeholders interested in environmental justice. (See www.calepa.ca.gov/EnvJustice/.)

Priorities

1. Cal/EPA Environmental Justice Advisory Committee Meetings: Cal/EPA’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee will conduct a series of outreach meetings throughout the State to solicit insights and advice on critical environmental justice issues affecting communities. These meetings are intended to guide Cal/EPA’s direction of its environmental justice program activities.

2. Intra-agency Environmental Justice Strategy: Cal/EPA, in collaboration with its boards, departments and offices, the interagency working group on environmental justice, and the environmental justice advisory committee will develop a strategic plan for environmental justice. The strategic plan will be cross-media in nature and will incorporate stakeholder input.

3. Environmental Justice Assessment Project: Cal/EPA will begin work on developing a GIS-based tool to identify and analyze communities with potential environmental justice concerns to better assist the agency in planning, developing, and implementing environmental justice programs, projects, and policies.

4. Environmental Justice Training: Cal/EPA will institute an ongoing environmental justice training program for its staff. Monthly environmental justice trainings will be offered that cover both general environmental justice concepts as well as media-specific environmental justice applications.

Brownfields

Cal/EPA is committed to putting California’s brownfields back into productive use in order to stimulate redevelopment in urban cores, protect public health and the environment, provide jobs, and improve the quality of life in affected communities.

To accomplish these goals, Cal/EPA, with DTSC and SWRCB, identifies brownfield cleanup and development impediments, develops California brownfields cleanup incentives, coordinates available cleanup processes, and develops networks that can assist in cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields.

Accomplishments

1. Brownfields Conference: Cal/EPA sponsored, along with DTSC, the first annual Western Regional Deal Flow Conference in Long Beach. The conference was designed to facilitate communication and coordination among California’s brownfields practitioners.

2. Brownfields Coordination: Cal/EPA initiated discussions with State, local, and federal agencies, as well as developer, business, environmental, and community interests, to develop relationships with all involved in brownfields development activities and to identify brownfield policy issues.

3. Cleanup Processes: Cal/EPA participated with DTSC, SWRCB, regional water quality control boards, and California Integrated Waste Management Board in ongoing efforts to examine the various State-overseen cleanup processes and programs. The goal was to identify differences between those processes and programs and the impacts of those differences.

Priorities

1. Brownfields Steering Committee: Cal/EPA will establish a Cal/EPA-led committee comprised of representatives of the Business, Transportation, & Housing Agency; Technology, Trade, and Commerce Agency; Health and Welfare Agency; local governments, businesses, developers, and environmental justice and environmental advocacy groups to identify additional brownfields cleanup and development impediments. The committee will also identify and develop additional California brownfields incentives and develop networks and working relationships that site developers can access to provide assistance in cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields sites.

2. Environmental Insurance: Through the use of a consultant hired to assist in the implementation of the Financial Assurance and Insurance for Redevelopment (FAIR) Program, Cal/EPA will conduct workshops and develop a request for proposal to solicit bids from insurance companies to provide insurance in California under the program.

3. Local Agency Initiatives: As mandated in Chapter 764, Statutes of 2001 (SB 32, Escutia), Cal/EPA will develop guidance to assist communities, developers, and local governments understand the procedures that are used in cleaning up hazardous waste sites and to develop guidelines for the selection of oversight agencies for the transfer of oversight responsibilities.

4. Screening Values: Through OEEHA, Cal/EPA will conduct a scientific peer review of screening values developed by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board in preparation for the development of agency screening values.

5. State Brownfields Web site: Cal/EPA will develop and implement a Web site to offer a premier brownfields information warehouse. Any brownfields project proponent will be able to use the site to access the variety of information and resources that are necessary to investigate, clean up, and develop brownfields sites in California.

6. Site Cleanup Improvements: Cal/EPA will develop and implement recommendations for improvement of the site cleanup processes in the state and ensure effective cross-program and cross-media coordination of those processes.

Cal/EPA Border Affairs Unit

The Border Environmental Program focuses on addressing environmental challenges along our shared border with Mexico by developing fruitful relationships with counterpart agencies at all three governmental levels, nongovernmental organizations, and the public on both sides of the border.

Accomplishments

1. Ten States Retreat: Cal/EPA hosted the 5th annual Ten States Retreat in Monterey, California, in September 2001. In attendance were representatives from nine U.S./Mexico Border states and representatives from federal institutions from both countries. Agenda items included discussion on reforming the Border Environment Cooperation Commission and North American Development Bank, the next phase of Border XXI, interaction with the International and Boundary Water Commission, and an overview of the accomplishments made as a group.

2. Implementation of Agreements and Action Items from Mexico City Trips:

· Two-Year Pilot-Scale Smog Check Project for the City Of Tijuana, Baja California: In July 2001, a 185-hour smog-check training program was completed. This course was taught to City of Tijuana workers to enable them to check and monitor the emissions of city vehicles. Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, was hired to provide this training. In addition, siting and planning for a smog check station for the City of Tijuana was completed on October 29, 2001.

· Industrial Waste Water Discharge Monitoring and Pretreatment Program: A contractor was hired to provide technical assistance to the cities of Mexicali, Tijuana, and Tecate. The assistance is to provide a framework for the independent water agencies in each city to work cooperatively during the implementation of the program.

Priorities

1. Border Environmental Program Advisory Groups: Cal/EPA will establish two planning and advisory groups for the Border Environmental Program. The first group, the Border Environmental Program Planning Committee, will consist of the directors of each entity within Cal/EPA as well as the executive officers of the two regional water quality control boards in the border region. The purpose of this committee will be to coordinate the actions of the border program within Cal/EPA, to consider changes to the Border Environmental Program strategic vision, and to provide program and planning guidance to the second committee, the Border Environmental Program Policy Committee. This committee consists of managers from each board, department, and office within Cal/EPA that has a specific organizational interest or responsibility in the border region. Its purpose is to implement the guidance developed by the planning committee and to ensure that the provisions of the border environmental program’s strategic vision are incorporated into the strategic plans, work plans, and tasks of all boards, departments, and offices within Cal/EPA.

2. Environmental Education: Cal/EPA will negotiate with Mexican authorities to begin a cooperative environmental education program for students at the K-12 level in the California/Baja California border region. The program will commence with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Mexican Federal Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), the Mexican Ministry of Education, and Cal/EPA. The program will consist of a series of workshops for teachers on both sides of the border. The materials provided at the workshops will be adapted from current environmental education materials and be incorporated into the teaching curricula in California and Baja California.

3. Establishing Relationships with New Administrations: On July 8, 2001, local and state elections were held in Baja California. The election resulted in a change of all mayors (known as Presidente Municipals, who serve terms of 3 years) and the governor (who is limited to a single term of 6 years). New administrations took office on November 1 and December 1, 2001. Cal/EPA will continue to pursue ongoing and productive relationships with the administrations of the new governor and the new mayors of Mexicali, Tijuana, Ensenada, Rosarito, and Tecate.

Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC)

The CEHC coordinates activities related to environmental impacts on children’s health. Children are particularly sensitive to many pollutants and California is a leader in analyzing and responding to this challenge.

Accomplishments

1. Childhood Asthma Conference: In August 2001, the Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC) co-hosted a conference on childhood asthma in San Diego sponsored by the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO), and the U.S. EPA. As part of Cal/EPA’s role in coordinating with federal and State agencies in matters pertaining to children’s health, the CEHC provided technical input to U.S. EPA’s revised report, “America’s Children and the Environment: A First View of Available Measures.”

2. Biennial Report: CEHC prepared and submitted its first biennial report to the Governor and to the Legislature. The report describes Cal/EPA’s progress in implementing the Governor’s children’s environmental health initiative, the requirements of SB 25 (Escutia, Chapter 731, Statutes of 1999), and the requirements of AB 2872 (Shelley, Chapter 144, Statutes of 2000).

3. Strategic Plan: CEHC developed a draft strategic plan designed to assist the Cal/EPA boards, departments, and offices in coordinating their programs related to children’s environmental health.

Priorities

1. Children’s Environmental Health Awareness Day: CEHC will host and coordinate a children’s environmental health awareness day at Cal/EPA in March 2002. The purpose of the event is to expand and improve cross-media communications, collaboration, and training within Cal/EPA.

2. Outreach and Communications: To assist in public outreach and communications, CEHC will develop a page on the Cal/EPA Web site, with links to the children’s environmental health programs in each of Cal/EPA’s boards, departments and offices. CEHC will also distribute a draft of its strategic plan to each Cal/EPA board, department, and office for comments and post the final version on the Internet.

3. Emergency Response: CEHC will develop a plan to provide health information specific to children as part of emergency response to chemical or biological releases to the environment.

4. Childhood Asthma: As a follow-up to the childhood asthma conference, Cal/EPA and the California Department of Health Services will form a work group to evaluate the establishment of an asthma action council to coordinate State, federal, and local responses to the increasing incidence of asthma in children.

Military Base Remediation and Reuse

The program coordinates agencywide responses to issues arising from cleanup activities on closed military facilities. It simplifies and accelerates, where possible, cleanup activities by agency regulators for closed military facilities. The program also provides counsel and guidance to communities and interested parties on issues arising from conflicts between development plans, community interests, and regulatory requirements for reuse of former military facilities.

Accomplishments

1. Outreach Program: Cal/EPA re-established its outreach to businesses and associations, hosting a series of eight listening sessions before related groups during the summer’s energy shortage. These sessions provided an opportunity to share several practical suggestions for increasing energy efficiency while maintaining environmental quality.

2. Closed Military Facilities: Cal/EPA assisted in the development of language to insert into the Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill to create a line item for environmental cleanups on closed military facilities. The language was submitted through the Office of the Governor in Washington, D.C., for consideration in the DoD appropriations hearing process.

3. Fees for Environmental Services: Cal/EPA discussed with DoD a proposal to amend its policy to enable defense installations to pay for fees for environmental services such as analyzing permit applications and oversight of environmental work conducted on closed military facilities.

4. Fort Ord Army Base: Cal/EPA assisted DTSC in the transfer of a 71-acre parcel on the former Fort Ord Army Base under early transfer provisions. In this transfer, the Army committed to executing necessary land use covenants and to continue its cleanup of unexploded ordnance. (See also the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s accomplishments for additional information.)

5. Long Beach Naval Complex: Cal/EPA facilitated discussions with environmental regulatory agencies to provide all necessary environmental reviews for the early transfer of the Long Beach Naval Complex to the Port of Long Beach, enabling the port to become the second largest container facility on the West Coast.

6. Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro: Cal/EPA assisted DTSC in the completion of a settlement agreement for the Marine Corps Air station at El Toro air base, enabling Orange County to move forward with regional development plans for a major air facility.

Priorities

1. Outreach Program: Cal/EPA will expand its listening session program with business, association, and trade groups in order to discuss its plans for the future.

2. Fees for Environmental Services: Cal/EPA will continue to work with DoD to secure its commitment to pay fees incurred by environmental regulatory agencies for their necessary regulatory activities.

3. Early Transfers: Cal/EPA will continue its efforts to accelerate and advance the early transfer of closed military facilities wherever possible and where consistent with State environmental quality objectives.

4. Analysis of Environmental Issues: Cal/EPA will prepare and deliver a summary and analysis of environmental issues related to energy and the siting of power plants in California before an international environmental business conference.

Enforcement

To achieve the Cal/EPA’s strategic goal of establishing cross-media strategies and coordination, staff from each Cal/EPA board, department and office must receive proper training on cross-media enforcement issues and coordination of cross-media investigations and enforcement actions. (For information on Certified Unified Program Agency [CUPA] enforcement, see the Unified Program section that follows.)

Accomplishments

1. Case referrals: Cal/EPA has continued to refer and collaborate on enforcement cases.

2. Cross-Media Training: Cal/EPA delivered the first session of its Cal/EPA basic inspector academy in Southern California. The academy covers many basic investigation/inspection subjects and includes cross-media issues. The training was delivered to a variety of State, tribal, and local field inspectors in environmental programs. These included inspection staff from Cal/EPA’s boards, departments, and offices as well as local agencies including local air districts, local enforcement agencies, CUPAs, and agricultural commissioners.

3. Cross-Media Investigations: Cal/EPA was involved in several pending cross-media enforcement cases using cross-media enforcement tools and methods. These encourage Cal/EPA boards, departments, and offices to perform investigations that address all hazardous waste, hazardous material, underground storage tanks, and water and air quality violations.

4. Enforcement Data Review: Cal/EPA reviewed enforcement program databases that have been developed and are maintained within Cal/EPA and its boards, departments, and offices. Cal/EPA also reviewed the methods used to collect data and provided recommendations to improve enforcement data management.

5. Information Access: Cal/EPA made improvements on information accessibility. All Cal/EPA boards, department, and offices now list their final enforcement orders on their Web sites. In addition, the Cal/EPA Web site contains links to these sites and a search function that allows a search of final enforcement orders for all Cal/EPA boards, departments, and offices.

Priorities

1. Cross-Media Enforcement Training: Cal/EPA will host its annual enforcement symposium and provide the basic inspector academy training to an additional 60 Cal/EPA inspectors. Cal/EPA plans to invite tribal government and Mexican government counterparts to participate in these training opportunities.

2. Cross Media Investigations: Cal/EPA will continue to make enforcement case referrals to U.S. Attorneys, the California Attorney General, and local district attorneys.

3. Enforcement Support: Cal/EPA will provide legal and administrative support to the CUPA enforcement programs, the environmental justice advisory council and intra-agency working group, the border affairs unit, and the children’s health and sustainability programs.

4. Enforcement Data Review: Cal/EPA will continue to evaluate existing databases to streamline methods, reduce errors, and improve the timeliness of data collection.

5. Information Access: The Cal/EPA Web site will be modified to include an enforcement page that contains information on all of Cal/EPA’s enforcement programs and links to similar sites.

Unified Program

Established in 1994, the Unified Program combines the implementation and administration of six previously distinct hazardous substances regulatory programs into a single program under the direction of a single local governmental entity called a Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). The intent of the program is to improve public health and environmental protection by improving coordination and consistency in the implementation of the six unified programs through consolidation. The six program elements included in the program are: the underground storage tank program, above-ground tank program, hazardous waste generator and tiered permitting programs, hazardous materials business plan program, accidental release of hazardous substances program, and hazardous materials elements of the Fire Code. Collectively the Unified Program regulates 120,000 businesses within California.

Cal/EPA’s Unified Program section in part fulfills Cal/EPA’s strategic vision goals to ensure that communities are free from unacceptable human health and ecological risks due to exposure from hazardous substances and other potential harmful agents. These goals also seek to reduce or eliminate the disproportionate impacts of pollution on low-income and minority populations.

Accomplishments

1. Certification of Jurisdictions without CUPAs: Cal/EPA certified Yuba County’s CUPA. In addition, Cal/EPA assisted other jurisdictions without CUPAs in applying for certification. There are currently 14 jurisdictions that have not been certified. Of those, 12 have submitted a letter of intent to become certified and 7 applications have been submitted to Cal/EPA and are in the process of being reviewed prior to certification.

2. Rural CUPA Assistance Funding: Chapter 730, Statutes of 2000 (SB 1824, Kelley) created the Rural CUPA Reimbursement Account to help fund CUPA programs in jurisdictions that cannot fund a program based on fees alone. Following certification as a unified program agency and establishment of a fee ordinance, 14 jurisdictions would qualify for some reimbursement from this account. Cal/EPA has implemented a process to ensure that the monies from the account are disbursed in an accurate and timely fashion that ensures that the rural counties have the proper funding to support the unified programs.

3. Non-CUPA County Development: To assist counties that have recently become certified or that are not certified in the Unified Program, Cal/EPA has held several training sessions with these counties to assist in the application process and in the first-year implementation of the program. This assistance included the development of a model application designed for rural counties.

4. Unified Program Enforcement Agreement: Cal/EPA entered into an agreement with the CUPA forum board to improve the administrative enforcement process for the hazardous waste program. This improvement program has resulted in the development of a standardized enforcement program plan, the development of standardized administrative order process, and the training of individuals from all 72 CUPAs in how to issue administrative orders for violations of the hazardous waste laws. Sixty-eight CUPAs provided a letter of intent to add this administrative enforcement process to their required inspection and enforcement plan. Content and implementation will be verified during the triennial evaluations.

5. Enforcement Consistency: The implementing statutes of only two of the elements of the Unified Program currently provide administrative enforcement authority, and they are not consistent with each other. To make the enforcement processes for CUPAs consistent, Cal/EPA established a State/federal/CUPA work group to study the issue. The work group developed a detailed concept paper in August 2001. Two public workshops were held in developing the paper.

6. Communication: Cal/EPA redesigned the information and layout of the Unified Program Web page to improve the dissemination of information relevant to the CUPAs, regulated businesses, and the public. The Unified Program Web page is available at www.calepa.ca.gov/CUPA.

7. CUPA Evaluations: Cal/EPA, in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the DTSC, the SWRCB, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal conducts triennial evaluations of each CUPA to ensure that it meets at least the minimum standards for the program. In the second half of 2001, 12 evaluations were conducted and 6 of the jurisdictions evaluated have received a draft report. Final reports will be issued within 45 to 90 days after Cal/EPA receives a response from the jurisdiction.

8. Program Staffing: Effective July 1, 2001, the administration of the Unified Program was transferred from the DTSC to the Office of the Secretary. The new Unified Program section at Cal/EPA became fully staffed in November 2001. A full staff allows the program to accomplish its goals and objectives.

9. Inspection and Enforcement Data: For the fiscal year 2000-01, 75 CUPAs and designated agencies submitted inspection and enforcement data. Cal/EPA has compiled the data and is conducting analysis on the trends.

Priorities

1. Certification of Jurisdictions Without CUPAs: Cal/EPA will either certify the jurisdictions that are not currently CUPAs or identify an alternative CUPA by July 2002. To assist non-CUPA jurisdictions that are applying for certification, Cal/EPA will provide training at the annual CUPA conference in February 2002. Cal/EPA will also develop a model policies and procedures document to aid these jurisdictions and any CUPAs who request this assistance.

2. Unified Program Information Management: Pending the approval of its feasibility study report, Cal/EPA will research funding options for this project. The first phase of development will be the creation of a Web-based GIS system that will display all of the businesses regulated by the Unified Program and identify by which program each business is regulated. Provided funds are available, Cal/EPA anticipates this first phase will be completed by December 2002.

3. Enforcement Consistency: Cal/EPA will pursue the enforcement consistency ideas presented in its concept paper.

4. CUPA Evaluations: Cal/EPA, in conjunction with the CUPAs and other State agencies, will continue to improve its evaluation process. A work plan is being developed to identify specific improvements, priorities, and the responsible individuals. The goal of the revision will be to ensure a consistent and effective evaluation process that provides the maximum benefit to CUPAs, State, and federal agencies. Cal/EPA will facilitate the evaluation of 18 CUPAs during the first half of 2002. Cal/EPA will finalize all outstanding reports from the first round of evaluations and will streamline the evaluation procedures to ensure that reports in the second round are submitted to the CUPAs in a timely fashion.

5. Outreach: Cal/EPA will participate in all regional CUPA forum board meetings to discuss legislative and regulatory information, policy decisions, and program accomplishments, and to receive input and suggestions for pending projects.

Quality Programs

Cal/EPA’s quality improvement partnership focuses on continuous organizational improvement and performance excellence. Cal/EPA’s Assistant Secretary for Quality Programs-along with quality consultants from its boards, departments, and offices-provide internal management consultation on organizational effectiveness. The areas covered include strategic planning, process improvement, performance interventions, facilitation, resource development, and improvement in service delivery.

Accomplishments

1. Strategic Vision Implementation: The strategic vision implementation team-comprised of representatives from each board, department, and office, and the Office of the Secretary-met to refine strategic plans and prepare tactical implementation plans. Strategic vision goals/objectives were used to evaluate and refine all legislative concepts and budget change proposals.

2. Cal/EPA Headquarters Building: The team improved communication and cohesiveness within Cal/EPA by introducing an intranet all-staff online directory to enable staff to access telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and location of fellow employees. The EPANet was redesigned to be more user-friendly, and it was substantially expanded. Cal/EPA introduced a staff survey and external environmental news.

3. Open Staff Forums: In November 2001 the Secretary and directors and executive officers from each board, department, and office of Cal/EPA participated in the first annual open staff forum. The Cal/EPA leadership highlighted recent accomplishments and plans, objectives, and initiatives for 2002. The forums provide the opportunity to develop a dialogue between staff and Cal/EPA leaders.

4. Cross-Organizational Working Groups: Cross-organizational working groups continued their work throughout the latter half of 2001. Specifically:

· The disability advisory council met on a monthly basis and sponsored a disability awareness fair on October 10 for all Cal/EPA employees. Open to outside organizations, the fair featured presentations and informational booths to raise awareness of disability-related issues.

· Cal/EPA formed the environmental management system (EMS) steering committee and began holding meetings on a biweekly basis. Headed by CIWMB Board Member Mike Paparian, the committee is charged with developing an EMS for the Cal/EPA building (see previous section on Sustainability and Pollution Prevention).

· The Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards working group organized the annual award program featuring a formal recognition ceremony on November 27, 2001, at the Cal/EPA Headquarters Building. Sixteen award winners were recognized for their environmental achievements in the categories of environmental economic partnerships, energy conservation, children’s environmental education, watershed and ecosystem management, sustainable practices, and border environmental protection. The Department of Conservation and Department of Water Resources created and produced a videotape of all award winners that premiered at the ceremony.

Priorities

1. Strategic Vision Implementation: The strategic vision implementation team will meet bi-weekly to coordinate the implementation of each board, department, and office’s plan with one another. In addition, Cal/EPA’s strategic vision will be coordinated with the goals and quantifiable accomplishments of the Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC) project. The team will create a summary document that illustrates the connection between the executive summaries of each strategic plan and Cal/EPA’s strategic vision.

2. Cal/EPA Headquarters Building: Planned activities include:

· An Earth Day celebration in April 2002.

· Open staff forums in the Bay Area and Southern California in early 2002, and repeated again in November 2002 in Sacramento.

· Management forums, comprised of Cal/EPA managers from each board, department and office, will begin in March 2002. These forums will be educational in focus, offering staff a global view of environmental protection in California and beyond. External speakers will be featured.

· Working groups such as the disability advisory council and the Cal/EPA EMS steering committee will continue to meet.

3. The Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards: Cal/EPA, in collaboration with the Resources Agency and Department of Conservation, will begin planning the 2002 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards. During the first half of 2002, Cal/EPA will pursue external funding, draft and mail award applications, and identify the nomination review committees.

Environmental Technology Certification

The California Environmental Technology Certification Program (CalCert) promotes the development, commercialization, and use of effective environmental techniques and technologies.

Accomplishments

1. Certifications: CalCert issued certifications for the following technologies and products:

· Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation’s flow control valves, designed to control the emissions of fugitive volatile organic compounds from industrial applications.

· Clean Cam Technology Systems’ camshaft cylinder reengineering kit, designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter emissions from pre-1993 diesel engines.

· Scigen’s Neutralex Technology, designed for the treatment of aqueous formaldehyde wastes.

2. Technology Acceptance and Reciprocity Partnership: Cal/EPA and the environmental agencies of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia completed and adopted a common protocol that streamlines data collection and evaluation methods for stormwater best management practices. The Technology Acceptance and Reciprocity Partnership (TARP) stormwater protocol provides technology developers and manufacturers with a uniform method for demonstrating technology performance.

3. Environmental Quality Incentives Program: The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accepted Cal/EPA’s certification of a chemical dust suppressant as credible evidence of the product’s environmental performance. This acceptance allows landowners and farmers to receive cost-sharing benefits from USDA when using the Cal/EPA-certified dust suppressant to reduce PM10 emissions on their land.

4. Market Research: CalCert completed comprehensive market research on technology certification from the perspectives of technology developers, regulators, and the regulated community. The research provided important insight into the level of client understanding, perceived value, and overall effectiveness of technology certification.

Legislative Affairs Unit

The California Environmental Protection Agency Legislative Affairs Office advises the Administration on the policy, program, and fiscal implications of environmental legislation. Cal/EPA and its boards, departments, and offices typically monitor and analyze more than 300 legislative proposals each legislative year.

Accomplishments

During the 2001 Legislative year, the Legislative Affairs Office was instrumental in influencing many important environmental initiatives. Some of the most outstanding legislative accomplishments this year include:

1. Water Quality: California’s water quality regulations are among the highest in the country. The following enacted bills continue that effort:

· Chapter 498, Statutes of 2001 (AB 285, Wayne): Sewage system overflow reporting-requires development of uniform formats for reporting spills from sewer systems.

· Chapter 500, Statutes of 2001 (AB 560, Jackson): stormwater runoff pollution: used oil-funds the mitigation and collection of oil and oil by-products from stormwater runoff, through the use of the used oil collection program.

· Chapter 522, Statutes of 2001, (AB 599, Liu): Groundwater quality monitoring program-requires that a comprehensive groundwater monitoring program be developed.

· Chapter 317. Statutes of 2001 (AB 1201, Pavley): stormwater pollution: Used Oil Recycling Fund-authorizes CIWMB to issue grants or loans to local governments or nonprofit entities to pay for education and mitigation projects relating to stormwater pollution.

· Chapter 875, Statutes of 2001 (AB 1602, Keelev): Clean Water Bond-creates the Clean Water Bond initiative on the 2002 Ballot, providing $300 million for water quality and $50 million for air quality.

2. Brownfields: Two groundbreaking State programs are helping businesses to overcome uncertainty regarding brownfields and to reuse toxic sites profitably in California. The following legislation provides brownfields cleanup assistance:

· Chapter 548, Statutes of 2001 (AB 254, Frommer): Brownfields loans: CLEAN program-clarifies and strengthens provisions of the CLEAN loan program, which finances response actions for the cleanup of brownfields sites.

· Chapter 764, Statutes of 2001 (SB 32, Escutia): Contaminated Property: restoration-Allows for the adoption of ordinances by local government for contaminated property restoration.

· Chapter 459, Statutes of 2001 (SB 468, Sher): Brownfields: insurance-provides State insurance for cleaning up brownfield sites.

3. Environmental Justice: Cal/EPA policy requires the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. The following legislation furthers that policy:

· Chapter 763, Statutes of 2001 (AB 1390, Firebaugh): Reduced emissions school buses: Carl Moyer funds-requires that a minimum of 50 percent of monies appropriated for key mobile source programs be used to improve air quality in areas with the most significant exposure by funding programs such as Carl Moyer attainment, reduced emissions school buses, and diesel mitigation programs.

· Chapter 762, Statutes of 2001 (AB 1553, Keeley): Environmental justice guidelines-requires the adoption of guidelines for addressing environmental justice in city and county general plans.

· Chapter 765, Statutes of 2001 (SB 828, Alarcon): Environmental justice-requires the review, identification, and development of strategy to overcome program obstacles impeding environmental justice.

4. Hazardous Waste Management: Cal/EPA is dedicated to ensuring that all communities are free from unacceptable human health and ecological risks due to exposure from hazardous substances and other potential harmful agents. The enactment of the following legislation furthers that goal:

· Chapter 663, Statutes of 2001 (AB 711, Committee on Environmental Safety): Hazardous waste: administrative civil penalties-authorizes DTSC or CUPA to issue an order requiring correction of a violation, to impose an administrative civil penalty, or to issue a corrective action order for a hazardous waste release.

· Chapter 461, Statutes of 2001 (AB 1259, Wiggins): Hazardous waste facilities permits: suspension-requires DTSC to suspend the permit of any hazardous waste facility for nonpayment of certain fees or failure to pay penalties imposed for a violation of the hazardous waste control laws or regulations.

· Chapter 605, Statutes of 2001 (SB 470, Sher): Hazardous waste control, management: used oil-clarifies and revises the Health & Safety Code sections regarding hazardous waste management, specifically, used oil. Allows used oil to be automatically introduced into fuel systems and burned in certain engines and increases the number of gallons of used oil that can be transported in a single shipment from 20 to 55.

· Chapter 656, Statutes of 2001 (SB 633, Sher): Mercury disposal requirements-sets standards of control for disposal of appliances and vehicle components containing mercury.

· Chapter 540, Statutes of 2001: (SB 1158, Knight): Hazardous waste, universal waste aerosol cans-requires the management of universal waste aerosol cans to be done in a manner that prevents fire, explosion, and the unauthorized release of any universal waste or component of a universal waste into the environment.

5. Air Quality: Cal/EPA continued its effort in 2001 to reduce air pollution with the passing of the following measure:

· Chapter 769, Statutes of 2001 (SB 527, Sher): Air pollution penalties-authorizes ARB to administratively assess specific penalties for violations of air pollution regulations.

6. Environmental Education: California takes the lead in providing environmental education.

· Chapter 926, Statutes of 2001 (SB 373, Torlakson): Recycling education-requires the CIWMB to provide environmental educational materials to State Board of Education for distribution to schools.

Top of Page | Accomplishment & Priorities Home | Reports Page

Last updated: November 19, 2003
California Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Publications/
General Public Contact, cepacomm@calepa.ca.gov (916) 323-2514