The Hazardous Materials Program protects the public from illegal disposal of Hazardous Materials into soil, groundwater, creeks and rivers. There are four primary areas of focus: Hazardous Materials Storage, Hazardous Waste Generation, Above Ground Tanks and Underground Storage Tanks. Businesses that handle hazardous materials are required to have appropriate permits and are inspected on a regular basis.
If your business stores hazardous materials above a certain amount, you are required to have a permit and submit a Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) to CERS.
If the aboveground petroleum storage capacity at your facility is equal to or greater than 1,320 gallons, you must obtain a permit and prepare a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan.
An underground storage tank (UST) is defined in applicable Federal and State code as "any tank and its associated piping that is located substantially underground which is used for the storage of hazardous substances." Learn what the county and state need from you if your business has a UST.
Beginning in 2013, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA) required electronic reporting of Unified Program data for all businesses who are subject to reporting requirements. Learn more about CERS.