Cal. HSC § 25201.6 — California Code / Code hsc / Division 20 / Chapter 6.5 / Article 9 / Section 25201.6
Section 25201.6
Status: in_force

(a) For purposes of this section and Section 25205.2, the following terms have the following meaning:

(1) “Series A standardized permit” means a permit issued to a hazardous waste facility that meets one or more of the following conditions:

(A) The total influent volume of liquid hazardous waste treated is greater than 50,000 gallons per calendar month.

(B) The total volume of solid hazardous waste treated is greater than 100,000 pounds per calendar month.

(C) The total storage design capacity is greater than 500,000 gallons for liquid hazardous waste.

(D) The total storage design capacity is greater than 500 tons for solid hazardous waste.

(E) A volume of liquid or solid hazardous waste is stored at the hazardous waste facility for more than one calendar year.

(2) “Series B standardized permit” means a permit issued to a hazardous waste facility that does not store liquid or solid hazardous waste for a period of more than one calendar year, that does not exceed any of the upper volume limits specified in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, and that meets one or more of the following conditions:

(A) The total influent volume of liquid hazardous waste treated is greater than 5,000 gallons, but does not exceed 50,000 gallons, per calendar month.

(B) The total volume of solid hazardous waste treated is greater than 10,000 pounds, but does not exceed 100,000 pounds, per calendar month.

(C) The total storage design capacity is greater than 50,000 gallons, but does not exceed 500,000 gallons, for liquid hazardous waste.

(D) The total storage design capacity is greater than 100,000 pounds, but does not exceed 500 tons, for solid hazardous waste.

(3) “Series C standardized permit” means a permit issued to a hazardous waste facility that does not store liquid or solid hazardous waste for a period of more than one calendar year, that does not conduct thermal treatment of hazardous waste, with the exception of evaporation, and that either meets the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (g) or meets all of the following conditions:

(A) The total influent volume of liquid hazardous waste treated does not exceed 5,000 gallons per calendar month.

(B) The total volume of solid hazardous waste treated does not exceed 10,000 pounds per calendar month.

(C) The total storage design capacity does not exceed 50,000 gallons for liquid hazardous waste.

(D) The total storage design capacity does not exceed 100,000 pounds for solid hazardous waste.

(4) “Standardized permit” means a Series A, B, or C standardized permit issued to a hazardous waste facility pursuant to this section.

(b) The department shall adopt regulations specifying standardized permit application forms that may be completed by a non-RCRA Series A, B, or C treatment, storage, or treatment and storage facility, in lieu of other hazardous waste facilities permit application procedures set forth in regulations. The department shall not issue standardized permits under this section to specific classes of facilities unless the department finds that doing so will not create a competitive disadvantage to a member or members of that class that were in compliance with permitting requirements that were in effect on September 1, 1992.

(c) The regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include all of the following:

(1) Require that the standardized permit notification be submitted to the department on or before October 1, 1993, for hazardous waste facilities existing on or before September 1, 1992, except for hazardous waste facilities specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (g). The standardized permit notification shall include, at a minimum, the information required for a Part A application as described in the regulations adopted by the department.

(2) Require that the standardized permit application be submitted to the department within six months of the submittal of the standardized permit notification. The standardized permit application shall require, at a minimum, that all of the following information be submitted to the department for review before the final standardized permit determination:

(A) A description of the treatment and storage activities to be covered by the standardized permit, including the type and volumes of waste, the treatment process, equipment description, and design capacity.

(B) A copy of the closure plan, as required by paragraph (13) of subdivision (b) of Section 66270.14 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(C) A description of the corrective action program, as required by Section 25200.10.

(D) Financial responsibility documents specified in paragraph (17) of subdivision (b) of Section 66270.14 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(E) A copy of the topographic map, as specified in paragraph (18) of subdivision (b) of Section 66270.14 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(F) A description of the individual container, and tank and containment system, and of the engineer’s certification, as specified in Sections 66270.15 and 66270.16 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(G) Documentation of compliance, if applicable, with the requirements of Article 8.7 (commencing with Section 25199).

(3) Require that a hazardous waste facility operating pursuant to a standardized permit comply with the liability assurance requirements in Section 25200.1.

(4) Specify which of the remaining elements of the standardized permit application, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 66270.14 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, shall be the subject of a certification of compliance by the applicant.

(5) Establish a procedure for imposing an administrative penalty pursuant to Section 25187, in addition to any other penalties provided by this chapter, upon an owner or operator of a treatment or storage facility that is required to obtain a standardized permit and that meets the criteria for a Series A, B, or C standardized permit listed in subdivision (a), who does not submit a standardized permit notification to the department on or before the submittal deadline specified in paragraph (1) or the submittal deadline specified in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (g), whichever date is applicable, and who continues to operate the hazardous waste facility without obtaining a standardized permit or other grant of authorization from the department after the applicable deadline for submitting the standardized permit notification to the department. In determining the amount of the administrative penalty to be assessed, the regulations shall require the amount to be based upon the economic benefit gained by that owner or operator as a result of failing to comply with this section.

(6) Require that a hazardous waste facility operating pursuant to a standardized permit comply, at a minimum, with the interim status facility operating requirements specified in the regulations adopted by the department, except that the regulations adopted pursuant to this section may specify financial assurance amounts necessary to adequately respond to damage claims at levels that are less than those required for interim status facilities if the department determines that lower financial assurance levels are appropriate.

(d) (1) Any regulations adopted pursuant to this section may be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(2) On and before January 1, 1995, the adoption of the regulations pursuant to paragraph (1) is an emergency and shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law as necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general welfare.

(e) The department shall not grant a standardized permit under this section unless the department has determined the adequacy of the material submitted with the application and has conducted an inspection of the hazardous waste facility and determined all of the following:

(1) The treatment process is an effective method of treating the hazardous waste, as described in the permit application.

(2) The corrective action plan is appropriate for the hazardous waste facility.

(3) The financial assurances are sufficient for the hazardous waste facility.

(f) (1) Interim status shall not be granted to a hazardous waste facility that does not submit a standardized permit notification on or before October 1, 1993, unless the hazardous waste facility is subject to paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (g).

(2) Interim status shall be revoked if the standardized permit application is not submitted within six months of the standardized permit notification.

(3) Interim status granted to any hazardous waste facility pursuant to this section and Sections 25200.5 and 25200.9 shall terminate upon a final permit determination or January 1, 1998, whichever date is earlier. This paragraph shall apply retroactively to hazardous waste facilities for which a final permit determination is made on or after September 30, 1995.

(4) A treatment, storage, or treatment and storage facility operating pursuant to interim status that applies for a standardized permit pursuant to this section shall pay fees to the department in an amount equal to the fees established by subdivision (e) of Section 25205.4 until July 1, 2022, and subdivision (f) of Section 25205.2 on and after July 1, 2022, for the same size and type of facility.

(g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), a facility treating used oil or solvents, or that engages in incineration, thermal destruction, or any land disposal activity, is not eligible for a standardized permit pursuant to this section.

(2) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an offsite facility treating solvents is eligible for a standardized permit pursuant to this section if all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The facility exclusively treats solvent wastes, and is not required to obtain a permit pursuant to the federal act.

(ii) The solvent wastes that the facility treats are only the types of solvents generated from dry cleaning operations.

(iii) Ninety percent or more of the solvents that the facility receives are from dry cleaning operations.

(iv) Ninety percent or more of the solvents that the facility receives are recycled and sold by the facility, excluding recycling for energy recovery, if the facility does not produce more than 15,000 gallons per month of recycled solvents.

(B) A facility treating solvents pursuant to this paragraph shall clearly label all recycled solvents as recycled prior to subsequent sale or distribution.

(C) Notwithstanding that a facility eligible for a standardized permit pursuant to this paragraph meets the eligibility requirements for a Series C standardized permit specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), the facility shall obtain and meet the requirements for a Series B standardized permit specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).

(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, for purposes of this paragraph, if the recycled material is to be used for dry cleaning, “recycled” means the removal of water and inhibitors from waste solvent and the production of dry cleaning solvent with an appropriate inhibitor for dry cleaning use. The removal of inhibitors is not required if all of the solvents received by the facility that are recycled for dry cleaning use are from dry cleaners.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an owner or operator with a surface impoundment used only to contain non-RCRA wastes generated onsite, that holds those wastes for not more than one 30-day period in any calendar year, and that meets the criteria specified in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, may submit a Series C standardized permit application to the department. A surface impoundment is eligible for operation under the Series C standardized permit tier if all of the following requirements are met:

(A) The waste and any residual materials are removed from the surface impoundment within 30 days of the date the waste was first placed into the surface impoundment.

(B) The owner or operator has, and is in compliance with, current waste discharge requirements issued by the appropriate regional water quality control board for the surface impoundment.

(C) The owner or operator complies with all applicable groundwater monitoring requirements of the regulations adopted by the department pursuant to this chapter.

(4) For purposes of this subdivision, treating solvents and thermal destruction do not include the destruction of nonmetal constituents in a thermal treatment unit that is operated solely to recover precious metals, if that unit is operating pursuant to a standardized permit issued by the department and the unit is in compliance with the applicable requirements of Division 26 (commencing with Section 39000). This paragraph does not prohibit the department from specifying, in the standardized permit for such a unit, a maximum concentration of nonmetal constituents, if the department determines that this requirement is necessary for protection of human health or safety or the environment.

(h) Facilities operating pursuant to this section shall comply with Article 4 (commencing with Section 66270.40) of Chapter 20 of Division 4.5 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(i) (1) If before the end of a standardized permit’s fixed term, a Part A and Part B application for the renewal of an existing standardized permit has been deemed complete, as specified in paragraph (4), a signed written cost reimbursement agreement and the 25-percent advance payment required pursuant to Section 25205.7, if applicable, have been submitted to and received by the department, and any other information requested by the department has been submitted to and received by the department, the standardized permit shall be deemed extended until either of the following:

(A) The department approves the standardized permit renewal application and the new standardized permit is effective.

(B) The department denies the standardized permit renewal application and all parties have exhausted all applicable rights of appeal.

(2) (A) An owner or operator of a hazardous waste facility with a standardized permit that expires before January 1, 2025, seeking to renew the standardized permit shall submit a Part A and Part B application to the department at least 180 days before the end of the standardized permit’s fixed term.

(B) The department shall post on its internet website, and update on at least a monthly basis, the estimated date for a permit decision for all standardized permits subject to this paragraph.

(C) The department shall issue a decision on a standardized permit renewal application for a hazardous waste facility subject to this paragraph within three years of the effective date of this section or within three years after the standardized permit’s fixed term, whichever is later.

(3) (A) An owner or operator of a hazardous waste facility with a standardized permit that expires on or after January 1, 2025, seeking to renew the standardized permit shall submit a Part A and Part B application at least two years before the end of the standardized permit’s fixed term.

(B) The department shall post on its internet website, and update on at least a monthly basis, the estimated date for a permit decision for all standardized permits subject to this paragraph.

(C) The department shall issue a decision on a standardized permit subject to this paragraph no later than one year after the end of the standardized permit’s fixed term.

(4) For purposes of this subdivision, an application for the renewal of an existing standardized permit shall be deemed complete when the department has notified the applicant in writing that the application is complete in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 66271.2 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(j) (1) The department shall require an owner or operator of a hazardous waste facility applying for a standardized permit to complete and file a phase I environmental assessment with the standardized permit application. However, if a RCRA facility assessment has been performed by the department, the assessment shall be deemed to satisfy the requirement of this subdivision to complete and file a phase I environmental assessment, and the hazardous waste facility shall not be required to submit a phase I environmental assessment with its standardized permit application.

(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, the phase I environmental assessment shall include a preliminary site assessment, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 25200.14, except that the phase I environmental assessment shall also include a certification, signed, except as provided in subparagraph (B), by the owner, and also by the operator if the operator is not the owner, of the hazardous waste facility and an independent professional engineer or geologist registered in the state, or an environmental assessor.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the certification for a permanent household waste collection facility may be signed by any professional engineer or geologist registered in the state, or environmental assessor, including, but not limited to, one employed by a governmental entity, but if the household waste collection facility owner is not a governmental entity, the professional engineer, geologist, or environmental assessor signing the certification shall not be employed by, or be an agent of, the household waste collection facility owner.

(3) The certification specified in paragraph (2) shall state whether evidence of a release of hazardous waste or hazardous constituents has been found.

(4) If evidence of a release has been found, the hazardous waste facility shall complete a detailed site assessment to determine the nature and extent of any contamination resulting from the release and shall submit a corrective action plan to the department, within one year of submittal of the standardized permit application.

(k) The department shall establish an inspection program to identify, inspect, and bring into compliance any treatment, storage, or treatment and storage facility that is eligible for, and is required to obtain, a standardized permit pursuant to this section, and that is operating without a standardized permit or other grant of authorization from the department for that treatment or storage activity.

(l) A treatment, storage, or treatment and storage facility authorized to operate pursuant to a hazardous waste facilities permit issued pursuant to Section 25200, that meets the criteria listed in subdivision (a) for a standardized permit, may operate pursuant to a Series A, B, or C standardized permit by completing the appropriate permit modification procedure specified in the regulations for such a modification.