HMD News
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Annual CERS Login and Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Certification Reminder - 2025
(GovDelivery sent 11/13/2025)
Dear Facility Owner/Operator:
The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) is the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) in the San Diego County region and would like to provide the following reminders regarding the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Certification Reminder
The Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) of the DEHQ, regulates the HMBP statute and regulations. California Health and Safety Code (HSC) Chapter 6.95 section 25508(a)(1)(A) requires that a facility subject to the HMBP Program annually certifies or submits their business plan in CERS. Facilities not subject to the Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) or Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) may certify their HMBP in CERS using the “Certify” Button but must also review their information and "Submit" their HMBP at least once every three years. Submitting an HMBP meets the criteria for certifying it. An HMBP consists of several components: Facility Information, Hazardous Materials Inventory, Site Map, Emergency Response Plan, and Training Plan.
This is a reminder that if you are subject to HMBP and you have NOT submitted or re-certified within the last year, please log into the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) to review and submit or certify.
-
If you have already submitted or certified a
complete HMBP in CERS within the last year, and have not had any
changes to your HMBP since your last certification, you may
disregard this notice.
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CERS Stale User Account Deletion
A CERS user account that has been inactive for one or more years is considered a stale account. Stale accounts pose a security risk as each account offers a malicious actor opportunity to gain access to CERS. To comply with CalEPA’s Information Security policies, any CERS account with no login activity within one year will be disabled and removed.
San Diego County Code (SDCC) SEC. 68.904 requires that all permitted facilities submit their facility's information in CERS. In order to maintain your CERS account in an active status and prevent it from being deleted, this is a reminder to log into CERS at least once for this year, even if there are no changes to your last submittal.
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If you need assistance with either of the above reminders, contact your area inspector or the HMD CERS Help Desk at (858) 505-6990.
To make a phone or in-office appointment to get one-on-one help, visit HMD’s CERS information website at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/hazmat/hmd_cers.html
Sincerely,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous
Materials Division
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CUPA Surcharge Fee Change Starting Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/2026
(GovDelivery sent 08/25/2025)
Dear Hazardous Materials Facility Owners and Operators,
This letter informs you of State surcharge changes for all facilities subject to Unified Program. Each facility that obtains or renews a Unified Program Facility Permit (UPFP) is required to pay an annual State surcharge in addition to local permit fees (in accordance with Section 25404.5 of the California Health and Safety Code). The State surcharge is not a County fee and all surcharge revenues are passed on directly to California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).
CalEPA has revised the State surcharge as of FY 2025-2026 to support their costs associated with Unified Program responsibilities and to reduce the amount collected to support CERS NextGen.
Starting in October 2025, State surcharge changes will be reflected on annual invoices as a total of $79.*
*Federal facilities that have not waived Sovereign Immunity will pay an adjusted State surcharge fee of $58.74. In San Diego, this will be reflected on invoices beginning February 2026.
The Underground Storage Tank, Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act, and California Accidental Release Prevention State surcharges remain unchanged.
For more information regarding the State surcharge, please visit the CUPA page on the CalEPA website at https://calepa.ca.gov/unified-program-home/cupa-state-surcharges. Please direct all questions or concerns regarding the State surcharge change to CalEPA at the following email address: cupa@calepa.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Hazardous Materials Division
Department of Environmental
Health and Quality
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2025 UST Bulletin
(GovDelivery sent 07/29/2025)
Dear Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owners and Operators,
The Hazardous Materials Division has recently made operational changes in the UST inspection and plan check programs. The 2025 Information Bulletin outlines the changes and updates for the San Diego County UST Program to better assist Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owners and Operators in meeting their regulatory requirements.
County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health & Quality UST Website
Sincerely,
Hazardous Materials Division
Department of Environmental
Health and Quality
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EPIC+ Seminar 2025
(GovDelivery sent 7/11/2025)
Hello Biotech/R&D Industry,
The County of San Diego's Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Hazardous Materials Division, in coordination with Biocom, hosted the 2025 EPIC+ Annual Seminar for biotech and R&D facilities on June 26, 2025, and as mentioned, we do want to hear from you. Please take a moment to give us your feedback about the EPIC+ Program.
Thank you to all who attended! To review what was covered during this presentation, please see slides below:
- Medical Waste Treatment Process
- Closure and Relocation Permitting BMPs
- Emergency Generators
- Compliance Tips
For more information on EPIC+, please visit our website.
Thank you,
The Hazardous Materials Division
Department of Environmental Health & Quality
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Cost Recovery Proposal Hearing Dates Confirmed for May 7th and May 21st
(GovDelivery sent 05/06/2025)
Dear Stakeholders,
The County of San Diego, Department
of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) has been conducting
stakeholder outreach virtual meetings and workshops to share program
updates and to provide an opportunity to comment on the fiscal year
2025-26 cost recovery proposal. Thank you to all who have participated
and provided feedback. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will
consider DEHQ’s Cost Recovery Proposal to amend portions of the
Administrative Code and Ordinances related to DEHQ Fees and Deposits
to become effective Fiscal Year 2025-26, in compliance with Board
Policy B-29. The first hearing date is on May 7, 2025, and
second hearing date is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
If you
would like to participate in the meeting and/or comment, you can sign
up to speak by phone or in-person. Please note the agenda item
you want to address. You may not give speaking time to another
person.
• Speak
in-person - You can now submit your speaker request before the
meeting!
• Speak
by phone
• Submit
comments
Discover
the new online system for requesting to speak.
To
watch the hearing online
• Web
Stream with Agenda
• County
News Center
• YouTube
(closed captions available)
• Vimeo
• Facebook
• X
More information regarding the cost recovery package can be found on
the Project
Website. The fees being considered are on the list
of proposed fees along with the current fees.
Sincerely,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Food, Water, and Housing Division
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Cost Recovery Proposal Stakeholder Meeting
Dear Operators,
The County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Hazardous Materials Division is reaching out to our customers to share program updates and to provide an opportunity to comment on the Fiscal Year 2025‐26 Cost Recovery Proposal.
This year, our stakeholder meeting will be held in person with a virtual option, and will include a presentation on Hazardous Materials Division programs, accomplishments, and the Fiscal Year 2025‐26 cost recovery proposal. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
Language interpretation, including American Sign Language, in alternative languages are available upon request. Please submit your request by 3/25/2025, by calling 858-505-6880 or via email to HMDutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov
HMD General CUPA Program Stakeholder Meeting
WHEN: 4/1/2025 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.
WHERE: County
Operations Center (COC) Chambers
5520 Overland Ave.
San Diego,
CA 92123
For questions regarding the meetings and/or Cost
Recovery Proposal, contact our Duty Desk at (858) 505-6880 or via
email to HMDutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Information regarding the Cost Recovery Proposal is posted on the DEHQ website fees page.
Sincerely,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous
Materials Division.
Slide Deck:
Cost Recovery Stakeholder Meeting - 04/01/2025
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UST Permanent Closure by December 1, 2025 – Enforcement Action
(GovDelivery sent 02/14/2025)
Dear Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owner and/or Operator,
This notice is a reminder that all single-walled (SW) USTs and non-exempt single-walled piping must be permanently closed by December 31, 2025 per Health and Safety Code, chapter 6.7, section 25292.05. There are no exceptions, exemptions, or extensions to this requirement. UST owners or operators must permanently close their single-walled USTs and or piping in accordance with Health and Safety Code, chapter 6.7, section 25298, and the California Code of Regulations, title 23, chapter 16 (UST Regulations), section 2672.
SW UST systems that are not permanently closed by December 31, 2025, will be out of compliance and shall not be operated. As the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) for San Diego County, we are mandated to proceed with enforcement actions against all owners and operators with SW UST systems on January 1, 2026. Enforcement actions include affixing red tags and pursuing penalties of $500 to $5,000 per tank, per day of violation pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of the Health and Safety Code section 25299. Noncompliant government owned USTs, including those owned and operated by their local government agencies are not exempt from any enforcement action.
If you have any questions regarding UST closure requirements, please contact Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Cecilia Lewallen at Cecilia.Lewallen@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Thank you,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous
Materials Division
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New Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank Regulations
(GovDelivery sent 02/13/2025)
You are receiving this email because your facility may have aboveground petroleum storage tanks subject to the Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA).
California has new APSA regulations that came into effect on December 17, 2024, and are found in the California Code of Regulations (CCR Title 19 Division 1. Chapter 11. Article 1 §1600-1616).
Until December 17, 2024, the APSA program requirements were contained in state statute (HSC Chapter §6.67 25270). The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) submitted new APSA regulations to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and requested that they be made effective upon approval, which the OAL granted on December 17, 2024.
How do the new APSA regulations affect your business?
1) All facilities subject to APSA must submit information in the APSA Facility Element of the California Environmental Reporting Systems (CERS) annually. Existing requirements state that APSA facilities must certify their Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) annually or submit a Tank Facility Statement, so this new requirement clarifies that the annual submittal should also include the APSA Facility Information form in CERS regardless of whether any of the information has changed.
2) All facilities subject to APSA must be inspected. Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAs) were previously required to inspect APSA facilities with more than 10,000 gallons of petroleum storage capacity, and local ordinance required County of San Diego Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) (as the local CUPA) to inspect APSA facilities with 1,320 gallons or more of petroleum storage and those that are Conditionally Exempt. The new regulations require HMD to also inspect APSA facilities with less than 1,320 gallons of petroleum storage which includes sites subject to APSA because they have one or more Tanks in an Underground Area (TIUGA).
· TIUGAs have been subject to APSA requirements since January 1, 2018, and HMD has been providing APSA compliance guidance since that date. HMD is already inspecting sites with TIUGAs for HMBP compliance and other CUPA programs as applicable and will include the APSA program scope during the next routine inspection. Failure to prepare and implement an SPCC Plan may result in violations.
· HMD has been conducting initial inspections of Conditionally Exempt APSA facilities to verify they meet the criteria for the exemption and will conduct subsequent routine inspections every three years to ensure the criteria continues to be met. Note that Conditionally Exempt facilities include construction sites that typically do not require a permit for more than three years.
Additional Information and Resources
Please see the following links for more information about APSA and how to prepare an SPCC Plan:
HMD Website:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/hazmat/hmd_apsa.html
TIUGA Fact Sheet:
Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Website:
EPA Tier I SPCC template
Tier I Qualified Facility SPCC Plan Template | US EPA
For additional questions regarding APSA, please contact Erin Thomas, APSA program technical lead, at erinr.thomas@sdcounty.ca.gov or your local inspector.
For assistance with CERS contact the CERS help desk at 858-505-6990 or your local inspector.
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Annual CERS Login and Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Certification Reminder - 2025
(GovDelivery sent 02/05/2025)
Dear Facility Owner/Operator:
The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) is the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) in the San Diego County region and would like to provide the following reminders regarding the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
CERS Stale User Account Deletion
A California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) user account that has been inactive for one or more years is considered a stale account. Stale accounts pose a security risk as each account offers a malicious actor opportunity to gain access to CERS. To comply with CalEPA’s Information Security policies, any CERS account with no login activity within one year will be disabled and removed.
San Diego County Code (SDCC) SEC. 68.904 requires that all permitted facilities submit their facility's information in CERS. In order to maintain your CERS account in an active status and prevent it from being deleted, this is a reminder to log into CERS at least once for this year, even if there are no changes to your last submittal.
Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Certification Reminder
The Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) of the DEHQ, regulates the HMBP statute and regulations. California Health and Safety Code (HSC) Chapter 6.95 section 255089(a)(1)(A) requires that a facility subject to the HMBP Program annually certifies or submits their business plan in CERS. Facilities not subject to the Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) or Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) may certify their HMBP in CERS using the “Certify” Button but must also review their information and "Submit" their HMBP at least once every three years. Submitting an HMBP meets the criteria for certifying it. An HMBP consists of several components: Facility Information, Hazardous Materials Inventory, Site Map, Emergency Response Plan, and Training Plan.
This is a reminder that if you are subject to HMBP and you have NOT submitted or re-certified within the last year, please log into the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) to review and submit or certify.
-
If you have already submitted or certified a
complete HMBP in CERS within the last year, and have not had any
changes to your HMBP since your last certification, you may
disregard this notice.
-
If you need assistance with either of the above reminders, contact your area inspector or the HMD CERS Help Desk at (858) 505-6990.
To make a phone or in-office appointment to get one-on-one help, visit HMD’s CERS information website at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/deh/hazmat/hmd_cers.html
Sincerely,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous
Materials Division
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2024 UST Bulletin
(GovDelivery email sent 09/16/2024)
Dear Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owners and Operators,
The Hazardous Materials Division has recently made operational changes in the UST inspection and plan check programs. The 2024 Information Bulletin outlines the changes and updates for the San Diego County UST Program to better assist Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owners and Operators in meeting their regulatory requirements.
County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health & Quality UST Website
Thank you,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous Materials Division
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Single Wall Underground Storage Tanks - Reminders
(GovDelivery email sent 08/26/2024)
Dear Underground Storage Tank (UST) Owner and/or Operator,
This notice is a reminder that all single-walled (SW) USTs, including connected single-walled piping, must be permanently closed by December 31, 2025 per Health and Safety Code, chapter 6.7, section 25292.05. All regulated USTs that do not meet the secondary containment and continuous leak detection requirements of H&SC, section 25291(a)(1)-(6), must be permanently closed in accordance with Health and Safety Code, chapter 6.7, section 25298, and the California Code of Regulations, title 23, chapter 16 (UST Regulations), section 2672.
- Funding is available to assist eligible small businesses owners/operators to remove, replace, or upgrade their single-walled USTs, however, these funding resources are limited. Therefore, it is best for eligible owners and operators who are interested, to utilize these resources as early as possible. More information on funding sources to remove, replace, or upgrade single-walled USTs, can be found at the following link: Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks (RUST) Program
HMD will conduct personalized outreach for each facility with remaining SW USTs by December 2024. This will allow us the opportunity to provide guidance for the unique needs for your facility to ensure compliance with the closure deadline. If you have any questions regarding UST closure requirements, please contact Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Cecilia Lewallen at Cecilia.Lewallen@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Thank you,
Department of Environmental Health and Quality
Hazardous
Materials Division
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Generator Improvement Rule Update (GIR)
(GovDelivery email sent on 07/03/2024)
After completing the State rulemaking process, the California
Department of Toxic Substances Control
(DTSC) Generator
Improvements Rule (GIR) has gone into effect as of July 1, 2024.
The County of San Diego has been notifying hazardous waste generators about these new State requirements and will continue to provide additional updates, guidance, and resources on compliance with the new State regulations prior to citing violations.
For additional information about the GIR, including the full regulatory text, please visit DTSC’s GIR page: https://dtsc.ca.gov/generator-improvements-rule/. Additionally, DTSC has a GIR FAQ resource available at: https://dtsc.ca.gov/faqs-for-the-adoption-of-gir/.
To ensure that you receive future updates and notifications
pertaining to the GIR, including public outreach
opportunities,
please subscribe to DTSC’s GIR E-List.
If you have questions on how this GIR will affect your business,
please contact your CUPA Inspector or the
Hazardous Materials
Division Duty Desk at: (858) 505-6880 or hmdutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov.
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