COUNTY OF MONTEREY
HEALTH
DEPARTMENT
Nationally Accredited for Providing Quality Health Services
Hazardous Materials Program
Published on June 28, 2017. Last modified on October 15, 2024
Hazardous Materials program
State and Federal Community-Right-to-Know laws were passed in response to the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India. These laws allow the public access to information about the amounts and types of chemicals in use at local businesses and they require the businesses to plan and prepare for possible chemical emergencies. The local CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency) which is the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau, administers this program and acts as the repository of this information.
A Hazardous Material Business Plan (HMBP) is a document containing detailed information on the:
- Inventory of hazardous materials at a facility
- Emergency response plans and procedures in the event of a reportable release or threatened release of a hazardous material
- Training for all new employees and annual training, including refresher courses, for all employees in safety procedures in the event of a release or threatened release of a hazardous material.
- A site map that contains north orientation, loading areas, internal roads, adjacent streets, storm and sewer drains, access and exit points, emergency shutoffs, evacuation staging areas, hazardous material handling and storage areas, and emergency response equipment.
The intent of the HMBP is to:
- Provide basic information necessary for use by first responders to prevent or mitigate damage to the public health and safety and to the environment from a release or threatened release of a hazardous material
- Satisfy federal and state Community Right-To-Know laws.
The State of California requires an owner or operator of a facility to complete and submit a HMBP if the facility handles a hazardous material or mixture containing a hazardous material that has a quantity at any one time during the reporting year equal to or greater than:
- 55 gallons (liquids), 500 pounds (solids), or 200 cubic feet for a compressed gas
The State of California [Health & Saf. Code sec 25508] requires all HMBPs to be submitted electronically to the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) which can be found at - http://cers.calepa.ca.gov.
Forms and worksheets
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Health and Safety Code (HSC) §25504(b) requires that Hazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBP) contain Emergency Response Plans and Procedures in the event of a reportable release or threatened release of a hazardous material. HSC §25504(c) requires that HMBPs address training of employees in safety procedures in the event of a reportable or threatened release. |
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Prior to completing this Plan, please refer to the INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING A CONSOLIDATED CONTINGENCY PLAN |
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Complete This Map and Use the “Upload Document” Feature in CERS to Complete Your HMBP for Electronic Submittal |