In compliance with state guidelines, each governmental agency designated by the State of California as a Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) is authorized to apply statewide standards to each facility within its jurisdiction that treats on site or generates hazardous waste, operates underground storage tanks, or stores hazardous materials. CUPA's are mandated by the State to establish a single billing statement process for the collection of the fees and surcharges associated with the practices of each of the regulated businesses. Some agencies designated as CUPA's collect billing information directly from the facilities themselves. On the other hand, billing information can be supplied to the CUPA by each Participating Agency (PA) that falls within the jurisdiction of that CUPA and that regulates businesses under the Unified Program.
What’s Happening
CalEPA will be hosting a virtual hearing to receive public comment on whether to transfer management of the City’s HWG program:
- FROM the Los Angeles County Fire Department
- TO the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD).
Anticipated Benefits
The City of Los Angeles, through the LAFD, already regulates five of six environmental programs under an umbrella structure known as the Unified Program. Transferring the management of the HWG program to the City would fully consolidate the City’s operations, resulting in many benefits to both the City and our businesses. Specifically, the anticipated benefits from the transfer include:
- Reduced Cost - HWG program inspection fees will be reduced for L.A. City Businesses.
- Improved Public Safety - Consolidating environmental emergency response in a single agency will improve protection for our communities.
- Eliminate Redundancy - One integrated data management team will streamline billing and customer support.
- Improved Communications - Business owners can get answers and directions from a single agency and combine inspections.
What You Can Do
You have the opportunity to influence CalEPA by expressing your support for the decision. You can do this by:
- Emailing written comments before or during the hearing to CUPA@calepa.ca.gov; or
- Providing oral comments at the hearing.
DATE: March 16, 2023
TIME: 11 am to 1 pm
VIDEO: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83017687398
CERS Workshops
LAFD CUPA is currently offering multiple workshops to help businesses in the City of Los Angeles with the annual Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HBMP) submission requirement via the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS). The workshops will be held in-person at our office and are by-appointment only. Attendees MUST bring their own laptop computer. Be sure to bring any paperwork you will need to upload to CERS to the workshop (i.e. site maps, chemical inventory, emergency response plan, etc.).
LOCATION:
The workshop will be held at:
200 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
ITB Training Room, 16th Floor, Room 1670
DATE & TIME:
2/27/2023: 10-11:30am
3/06/2023: 10-11:30am
3/13/2023: 10-11:30am
4/10/2023: 10-11:30am
4/24/2023: 10-11:30am
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:
Secure your spot for this workshop via Eventbrite.
Existing law declares that to protect public health and safety and the environment, it is necessary to establish and implement a Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) relating to the handling and release or threatened release of hazardous materials. Accordingly, the law excluded hazardous material contained solely in a consumer product, handled at, and found in a retail establishment, and intended for sale for public use.
Assembly Bill (AB) 2059 was approved on September 13, 2022. This act amends Chapter 6.95 Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Sections 25500, 25501, and 25507 of and adds Sections 25507.5 and 25508.3 to the Health and Safety Code relating to hazardous materials. In addition, AB 2059 would expand the scope of hazardous materials subject to regulation by narrowing the “consumer product” definition and the exemptions applicable to these products.
This bill would not exempt a facility from submitting an HMBP meeting either of the following:
- A consumer product handled at a facility that manufactures that product, or a separate warehouse or distribution center where there are no direct sales to consumers, or where a product is dispensed on the retail premises.
- A consumer product sold at a retail establishment that has a National Fire Protection Association or “NFPA” or Hazardous Materials Identification System or “HMIS” rating of 3 or 4 and is stored, at any time, in quantities equal to, or greater than, 165 gallons for a liquid, 600 cubic feet for a gas, and 1,500 pounds for a solid. If a unified program agency determines that a consumer product stored at a retail establishment is stored at or above a reportable threshold listed in subdivision (a), and poses a significant potential hazard, the unified program agency may require the product to be reported in accordance with this chapter.
Click the link below to view CalEPA’s update on AB 2059.
Contact Information
LAFD CUPA
200 N Main Street, Room 1780
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 978-3680
Email: lafdcupa@lacity.org