Article 15 - Operation and Maintenance

California Health and Safety Code — §§ 79310-79330

Sections (5)

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.

For purposes of this article, “small business” is a business that meets the requirements set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 14837 of the Government Code.

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.

Except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 79325, the department or the regional board shall require any responsible party who is required to comply with operation and maintenance requirements as part of a response action, to demonstrate and to maintain financial assurance in accordance with this article. The responsible party shall demonstrate financial assurance prior to the time that operation and maintenance activities are initiated and shall maintain it throughout the period of time necessary to complete all required operation and maintenance activities.

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.

(a)For purposes of Section 79315, the responsible party shall demonstrate and maintain one or more of the financial assurance mechanisms set forth in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, of Section 66265.143 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(b)As an alternative to the requirement of subdivision (a), a responsible party may demonstrate and maintain financial assurance by means of a financial assurance mechanism other than those specified in subdivision (a), if the alternative financial assurance mechanism has been submitted to, and approved by, the department or the regional board as being at least equivalent to the financial assurance mechanisms specified in subdivision (a). The department or the regional board shall

evaluate the equivalency of the proposed alternative financial assurance mechanism principally in terms of the certainty of the availability of funds for required operation and maintenance activities and the amount of funds that will be made available. The department or the regional board shall require the responsible party to submit any information necessary to make a determination as to the equivalency of the proposed alternative financial assurance mechanism.

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.

(a)The department or the regional board shall waive the financial assurance required by Section 79315 if the department or the regional board makes one of the following determinations:
(1)The responsible party is a small business and has demonstrated all of the following:
(A)The responsible party cannot qualify for any of the financial assurance mechanisms set forth in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 66265.143 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)The responsible party financially cannot meet the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 66265.143 of Title 22 of the California

Code of Regulations.

(C)The responsible party is not capable of meeting the eligibility requirements set forth in subdivision (e) of Section 66265.143 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2)The responsible party is a small business and has demonstrated that the responsible party financially is not capable of establishing one of the financial assurance mechanisms set forth in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive, of Section 66265.143 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations while at the same time financing the operation and maintenance requirements applicable to the site.
(3)The responsible party is not separately required to demonstrate and maintain a financial assurance mechanism for operation and maintenance activities at a site because of all of the following conditions:
(A)The site is a multiple responsible party site.
(B)Financial assurance that operation and maintenance activities at the site will be carried out is demonstrated and maintained by a financial assurance mechanism established jointly by all, or some, of the responsible parties.
(C)The financial assurance mechanism specified in subparagraph (B) meets the requirements of Sections 79315 and 79320.
(4)The responsible party is a federal, state, or local government entity.
(b)The department or the regional board shall withdraw a waiver granted pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) if the department or the regional board determines that the responsible party that obtained the

waiver no longer meets the eligibility requirements for the waiver.

Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 257, Sec. 2. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2023. Operative January 1, 2024, pursuant to Sec. 4 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 257.

On or before January 15, 2001, the department shall report to the Legislature all of the following:

(a)The number of requests the department and the regional boards have received for waivers from the financial assurance requirements of this article during the period between May 26, 1999, and January 1, 2001.
(b)The disposition of the requests that were received and the reasons for granting the waivers that were allowed and rejecting the waivers that were disallowed.
(c)The total number of businesses or other entities that were required by this article to demonstrate and maintain financial assurance, the number of businesses or

other entities that were able to comply with the requirement, the number that were unable to comply and the reasons why they could not or did not comply, and the history of compliance with this part and Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 25100) of Division 20 by responsible parties that requested waivers.

(d)Financial assurance mechanisms other than the financial assurance mechanisms referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 79320 that may be available to responsible parties.