Hazardous waste: waste facilities: prohibited chemicals.

The hazardous waste control laws prohibit the use of a nonbiodegradable toxic chemical in a chemical toilet, recreational vehicle, or waste facility of a vessel and prohibit the sale of a nonbiodegradable toxic chemical in a container that indicates that the chemical could be used in a chemical toilet, a waste facility of a recreational vehicle, or a waste facility of a vessel. Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop and adopt regulations to define nonbiodegradable toxic chemicals and limitations on the sale of those chemicals. A violation of the hazardous waste control laws is a crime. Under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards are the principal agencies with authority over water quality. Under the act, persons discharging waste are required to file with the appropriate regional board a report of the discharge and the discharge is subject to waste discharge requirements prescribed by that regional board. This bill would prohibit the sale or distribution in commerce of a product that contains any of specified chemicals or chemical compounds in a container that indicates that the product is suitable for use in a holding tank or other portion of a waste facility of a recreational vehicle, and would prohibit the use of a product that contains any of those same chemicals or chemical compounds in a holding tank or other portion of a waste facility of a recreational vehicle or of a campground chemical toilet that discharges to one of specified kinds of waste systems. The bill would require an owner or operator of a recreational vehicle park or campground that utilizes one of those kinds of waste systems to dispose of recreational vehicle wastewater to post a specified notice in a conspicuous location. The bill would provide that enforcement of these requirements is contingent on an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose. The bill would require an owner or operator to certify compliance with the requirement to post that notice as part of any waste discharge requirement or as a condition of a waiver of a waste discharge requirement. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the state board, to the extent that funding is made available, to investigate methods to detect and quantify concentrations of chemical toilet deodorants, including those same chemicals and chemical compounds, in one of those same kinds of waste systems, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative on January 1, 2022. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.