Title HSC — California Health & Safety Code

“Person” means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, business concern, corporation, including, but not limited to, a government corporation, partnership, limited liability company, and association. “Person” also includes any city, county, city and county, district, com…

“Phase I environmental assessment” means a preliminary assessment of a property to determine whether there has been, or may have been, a release of a hazardous substance based on reasonably available information about the property and general vicinity. A phase I environmental ass…

“Preliminary endangerment assessment” means an activity that is performed to determine whether current or past hazardous substance management practices have resulted in a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance that poses a threat to the public health or the enviro…

“Regional board” means a California regional water quality control board.

(a) “Release” means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment. (b) “Release” does not include any of the following: (1) Any release that results in exposure to persons solely…

A “release authorized or permitted pursuant to state law” means any release into the environment that is authorized by statute, ordinance, regulation, or rule of any state, regional, or local agency or government or by any specific permit, license, or similar authorization from s…

“Remedial design” means the detailed engineering plan to implement the remedial action alternative or initial remedial measure approved by the department.

“Remedial investigation” means those actions deemed necessary by the department to determine the full extent of a hazardous substance release at a site, identify the public health and environment threat posed by the release, collect data on possible remedies, and otherwise evalua…

“Remedy” or “remedial action” includes all of the following: (a) Those actions that are consistent with a permanent remedy, that are taken instead of, or in addition to, removal actions in the event of a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance into the environment,…

“Removal action work plan” means a work plan prepared or approved by the department or a regional board that is developed to carry out a removal action, in an effective manner, that is protective of the public health and safety and the environment. The removal action work plan sh…

“Remove” or “removal” includes the cleanup or removal of released hazardous substances from the environment or the taking of other actions as may be necessary to prevent, minimize, or mitigate damage that may otherwise result from a release or threatened release, as further defin…

“Response,” “respond,” or “response action” have the same meanings as defined in Section 101(25) of the federal act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601(25)). The enforcement and oversight activities of the department and regional board are included within the meaning of “response,” “respond,” o…

(a) (1) “Responsible party” or “liable person,” for the purposes of this part, means those persons described in Section 107(a) of the federal act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9607(a)). (2) (A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), but except as provided in subparagraph (B), a person is not a respons…

“Secretary” means the Secretary for Environmental Protection.

“Site” has the same meaning as the term “facility” is defined by Section 101(9) of the federal act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601(9)).

“Site cleanup evaluation” means an evaluation by the department of the effectiveness of a removal or remedial action conducted by a responsible party, to reduce or eliminate actual or potential public health and environmental threats posed by a hazardous substance release site if…

“State account” means the Toxic Substances Control Account established pursuant to Section 25173.6.

“State board” means the State Water Resources Control Board.

“Tier” means a grouping of hazardous substance release sites that require removal and remedial actions, that are listed alphabetically, and that are of a roughly equivalent priority for removal and remedial action.

(a) This part shall not be construed as imposing any new liability associated with acts that occurred on or before January 1, 1982, if the acts were not in violation of existing state or federal laws at the time they occurred. (b) Nothing in this part shall be construed as author…