25550-25553
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 25550-25553
25550. If requested by an organization representing local businesses, a county shall meet with representatives of local businesses to determine whether there is a need for a hazardous materials information and consulting service to assist businesses in that county. If the county determines there is a need for the service, and the county possesses or could reasonably secure the necessary technical expertise, the county may establish a hazardous materials information and consulting service to provide the services specified in Section 25551, subject to the prosecution policies developed pursuant to Section 25552, to all the following persons: (a) Any person subject to Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 25100), including, but not limited to, any person discharging hazardous waste into a surface impoundment pursuant to Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 25208) of Chapter 6.5. (b) The owner or operator of an underground storage tank subject to Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280). (c) Any business required to establish and implement a business plan for emergency response pursuant to Chapter 6.95 (commencing with Section 25500). 25551. A county which establishes a hazardous materials information and consulting service pursuant to this chapter shall do all of the following: (a) Develop informational materials or adapt existing materials on the regulatory programs specified in Section 25550 and publicize the availability of this information. (b) Respond to telephone inquiries with verbal or written information. (c) Conduct onsite consultations on the request of a person specified in Section 25550. (d) Conduct seminars for business representatives and attend meetings, when invited, to explain the regulatory programs specified in Section 25550 and the service's availability. 25551.2. A county may contract with another county, or enter into a memorandum of agreement with one or more nearby counties, to provide consulting services for businesses within a multicounty region. 25552. (a) A county that establishes a program pursuant to Section 25550 shall, prior to establishing a fee structure pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25553, consult with the district attorney for that county to develop policies to be followed by the district attorney in making decisions concerning prosecution of violations discovered pursuant to this chapter. These policies shall include, but are not limited to, consideration of the following: (1) Whether the violation is a knowing, willful, negligent, or inadvertent violation. (2) Whether the violator agrees to the schedule of compliance specified by the county. (3) Whether the violation was discovered during an onsite consultation carried out pursuant to this chapter. (b) Schedules for compliance referred to in subdivision (a) shall not be subject to negotiation between the county and the violator. (c) A county may take enforcement action, or refer for enforcement action, a violation subject to the policies adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) if the violation involves an imminent or substantial endangerment to public health and safety or the environment. If a county refers a violator for enforcement action to the appropriate state or local agency pursuant to this subdivision, the county shall include any recommendations for cleanup or abatement of the violation and information on whether the violator has voluntarily attempted to comply with the statute or regulation. 25553. (a) (1) Each county may, upon a majority vote of the governing body, adopt a schedule of fees to be collected from businesses which request the services provided by this chapter. The fee schedule shall be developed by the county in consultation with local business representatives. The fee shall be set in an amount sufficient to pay only those costs incurred by the county in carrying out this chapter. In determining the fee schedule, the administering agency shall consider the volume and degree of hazard potential of the hazardous materials handled by the business. (2) A county may seek supplemental funds for the support of activities carried out pursuant to this chapter from existing state funds which are available to local governmental entities for the costs of waste control and enforcement programs, to the extent that use of the funds will alleviate the disposal of hazardous wastes in solid waste landfills. (b) A county which has established a hazardous materials information and consulting service pursuant to this chapter shall provide these services to an individual business which has not been assessed a fee as determined by the schedule adopted pursuant to subdivision (a). A business provided services pursuant to this subdivision shall pay a fee to the county for these services at a rate set by the county.