Hazardous waste: underground storage tanks.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on implementation or enforcement mechanisms, leaving some uncertainty in these areas.

Hazardous Waste Rules for Underground Storage Tanks

This law changes rules about how hazardous waste is treated in labs and updates the definition of underground storage tanks to include hydraulic fluid or dielectric fluid.

What This Bill Does

• Sets a priority order for procedures when treating lab-generated hazardous waste if specific methods are available.
• Allows using manufacturer's instructions for treatment if no specific method exists, provided it doesn't conflict with existing rules.
• Permits notifications about compliance with hazardous waste laws to be sent through an online system instead of in person or by mail.
• Expands the types of tanks that don’t count as underground storage tanks when they hold hydraulic fluid or dielectric fluid for lifts, elevators, and similar devices.

Who It Names or Affects

• Facilities that generate, treat, or store hazardous waste
• Laboratories dealing with hazardous materials
• People who operate lifts, elevators, and similar devices

Terms To Know

Underground storage tank

A container buried in the ground that holds liquids like fuel or hydraulic fluid.

Dielectric fluid

An insulating liquid used to prevent electrical breakdown between conductors, often found in transformers and capacitors.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify an effective date.
• It is unclear how the changes will be implemented or enforced by regulatory agencies.

Official Summary Text

AB 1459, Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
Hazardous waste: underground storage tanks.
(1) Existing law requires facilities that generate, treat, or store hazardous waste to obtain a permit or other authorization from the Department of Toxic Substances Control or a unified program agency.
Existing law specifies that a hazardous waste facilities permit or other grant of authorization is not required for the treatment of laboratory hazardous waste generated onsite if, among other things, the laboratory hazardous waste is treated in containers using specified procedures and quantities for treatment of laboratory waste, as provided.
This bill would specify the priority of those specified procedures. If those specified procedures do not exist, the bill would authorize the use of the manufacturer’s written procedures if they are not in conflict with applicable rules or
regulations.
Existing law requires generators of hazardous waste to provide various notifications and certifications regarding compliance to the department, and to other specified entities, in person, or by certified mail, as provided.
This bill would additionally authorize those notifications and certifications to be made into the statewide information management system.
(2) Existing law provides for the regulation of underground storage tanks by the State Water Resources Control Board and defines “underground storage tank” for those purposes. Existing law excludes certain tanks from the definition of “underground storage tank,” including, but not limited to, a tank holding hydraulic fluid for a closed loop mechanical system that uses compressed air or hydraulic fluid to operate lifts, elevators, and other similar devices.
This bill would instead exclude from that definition a tank holding hydraulic fluid or dielectric fluid for a closed loop mechanical system that uses compressed air, hydraulic fluid, or dielectric fluid to operate lifts, to operate elevators, to act as an electric cooling or insulation system, and other similar devices.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF