Frequently Asked Questions

Hazardous materials which meet or exceed State-mandated thresholds must be reported. However, your facility may be subject to additional requirements per local or municipal codes. For example, the County's Hazardous Materials Storage Ordinance requires below-threshold hazardous materials to be reported on your HMBP, aggregated by hazard class and storage location.

If your facility is located within the city limits of Mountain View, or  Palo Alto, please check with that city's Fire Department. If your facility is located in Campbell, Cupertino, or Los Gatos, please check with the Santa Clara County Fire Department. The cities of Gilroy, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale​ are all separate CUPAs; please contact them for details. All other areas in our CUPA (Los Altos Hills, Moffett Field, Monte Sereno, San Martin, Saratoga, Stanford, and unincorporated areas, are subject to the aforementioned Hazardous Materials Storage Ordinance.​

Electronically submitting a HMBP will trigger a regulator to review it. Upon a full review, you will receive an invoice for your permit category. By paying this invoice, you will receive your permit.​

A full HMBP is required annually. CERS facilitates re-submittals by using previously-submitted information so that you need not start a submittal from scratch each year. Please visit CERS to submit your full HMBP.​

All submittals are required to be submitted to Cal/EPA's state-wide database CERS (California Environmental Reporting System).

Electronic reporting will save time and resources by allowing all of the following:

• Businesses and their contractors can quickly access, update, and submit Unified Program information.
• Multi-jurisdictional businesses can submit required information through a single reporting system.
• Emergency Responders can quickly see a facility's current hazardous materials inventory and site maps.​

Hazardous Materials Business Plans must be submitted within 12 months of your last submittal and/or 30 days of any substantial changes to your facility's operations.​​

Substantial changes include:

• A 100 percent or more increase in the quantity of a previously disclosed material
• Any handling of a previously undisclosed hazardous material subject to the inventory requirements of an HMBP
• Change of business address
• Change of business ownership
• Change of business name
• A substantial change in the handler's operations
• Any change that would inhibit immediate response during an emergency by either site personnel or emergency response personnel

Assembly Bill 2286 (Feuer) was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, chaptered on September 29, 2008 and went into effect January 1, 2009.  As of January 1, 2013, the law requires regulated businesses to use the Internet to file required Unified Program information previously filed by paper forms.​

​If you recycle more than 100 kg/month of recyclable material onsite or recycle "excluded recyclable materials" generated off-site under a claim that the material qualifies for an exclusion or exemption pursuant to Health and Safety Code §25143.2, you must submit a Recyclable Materials Report with your CERS submittal. This report is for two calendar years and due on July 1 of every even-numbered year.

​If you are a hazardous waste generator that collects hazardous waste initially at remote sites and subsequently transports the hazardous waste to a consolidation site that you also operate, you must submit a include a Remote Waste Consolidation Site Annual Notification with your CERS submittal. This notification must be submitted every year. Refer to Health and Safety Code §25110.10 for eligibility and notification requirements.

If you are a resident or your business qualifies as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG), you have the opportunity to participate in Santa Clara County's HHW Program. For more information about the HHW program and drop off locations, click here.

​If you have observed any activity, conduct, or physical evidence you suspect to be illegal or unauthorized or have knowledge of suspected illegal or unauthorized conduct impacting, or threatening to impact, California’s environment or the public health, please file a complaint with either of the following:

• HMCD File a Complaint 
• CalEPA Environmental Complaint Form.

​For detailed information about how to label your hazardous waste, check out HMCD's Labeling and Marking Requirements Document​.

Electronically submitting the Facility Information submittal element on CERS will prompt a regulator to review your submittal. Upon review, an invoice will be issued to your facility for your appropriate permit category. By paying this invoice, you will receive a hazardous waste permit.

Treated wood” (TWW) means wood that has been treated with a chemical preservative for purposes of protecting the wood against attacks from insects, microorganisms, fungi, and other environmental conditions that can lead to decay of the wood, and the chemical preservative is registered pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. [HSC 25230.1(c)

Alternative Management Standards (AMS) for TWW:

- Do not burn, chip, scavenge, or mix with other non-TWW wastes.

• Minimal cutting, breaking, or sawing is allowed.  Planning, grinding, drilling, chipping, sanding, shredding, mulching or other mechanical handling is not allowed.

-Label each pile/container as      

• TREATED WOOD WASTE -Do not burn or scavenge.
• Treated Wood Waste Handler Name and Address:  (with your company’s name and address
• Accumulation Date (fill in date you started putting wood in the container)

-Prevent contact with the soil during accumulation

-Accumulate no longer than 180 days from the date you started generating TWW  or received from another handler. 

-Maintain records of shipment of TWW to disposal facility.

-Document training. Specifically address identifying and segregating TWW, safe handling procedures, familiarity with AMS, and proper disposal procedures

-Approved landfills receiving TWW shall submit a semiannual report to Department of  Toxic Substance Control.

-Lists of approved TWW disposal locations and transfer sites.

​If you witness or suspect a spill or illegal disposal of hazardous waste, contact HMCD immediately. After business hours and weekends call CalEPA at (916) 845-8911. In the event of an emergency, call 911 immediately.

HMCD provides free hazardous waste training for small quantity generators of hazardous waste. To sign up for an upcoming class, click here.

Electronically submitting all required information in CERS will prompt a regulator to review your submittal. Upon review, an invoice will be issued to your facility for your appropriate permit category. By paying this invoice, you will receive a Tiered Permitting Facility Permit.

​To determine which tier or tiers apply to your operations, refer to the DTSC Onsite Tiered Permitting Flow Chart.​​

​Yes. Farm tanks, heating oil tanks- located at a personal residence and holds no more than 1,100 gallons of heating oil, hydraulic lift tanks, propane tanks, septic tanks, sumps, pits, ponds, or lagoons, wastewater treatment tanks, except those that are part of a UST system, stormwater or wastewater collection systems, and emergency containment tanks kept empty to receive accidental spills are exempt from this Program. See Health & Safety Code, Chapter 6.7, §25281.​​

​Please email [email protected] at a minimum of 48 hours in advance to schedule your tests.

​A UST is a tank or combination of tanks and piping, located 10% or more beneath the surface of the ground, that stores hazardous chemicals.

Please visit our Closures page.​​

​Please visit our Plan Check​ page. 

​Electronically submitting the Facility Information submittal element and Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act Documentation on CERS will prompt a regulator to review your submittal. Upon review, an invoice will be issued to your facility for your appropriate permit category. By paying this invoice, you will receive an APSA Facility Permit.​

• ​Farms, nurseries, logging and construction sites with no tank >20,000 gallons and a total petroleum storage capacity <100,000 gallons are conditionally exempt from completing and implementing an SPCC Plan. However, these facilities must:

  • Submit Facility Information and required APSA Documentation on CERS.

  • Conduct daily inspections of ASTs in compliance with Federal SPCC rules.

  • Pay annual invoice to keep an active ASPA permit with HMCD.

  • Allow HMCD to conduct periodic inspections.

  • Notify HMCD and CalOES of a spill or release of 42 gallons or more of petroleum.

• Farms, nurseries, logging, and construction sites with tanks >20,000 gallons or a total petroleum storage capacity >100,000 gallons must comply with the requirements listed above and complete an SPCC Plan.

• ​If your facility has ≤10,000 gallons total oil storage capacity and no tank is >5,000 gallons, you may use the Tier I SPCC Plan Template.

• If your facility has ≤10,000 gallons total oil storage capacity and any individual tank is >5,000 gallons, you may self-certify using the Tier II SPCC Plan Template​, but may not use the Tier I SPCC Plan Template.

• Facilities with >10,000 gallons total storage capacity must have a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) review and certify the SPCC Plan.

For Qualified Facilities, you may write and certify your own SPCC plan using the Tier 1 or Tier II SPCC Plan templates found under the “Resources” section of our APSA page. You may also request the assistance of an outside contractor to help you complete the plan. Non-Qualified Facilities will require a plan certified by a Professional Engineer, usually provided by a consulting service.  

When searching for consultants, use key words like “SPCC plan writing consultant”. Some counties keep lists of consultants (Santa Cruz County Consultant Listing, Sacberc Listing) but such listings are not an endorsement of services.

Ensure that any consultant hired is familiar with California laws and regulations (APSA). You may also want to work with a person knowledgeable in Steel Tank Institute SP001 inspection procedures, as this is the most common standard used to conduct tank integrity testing. STI keeps a list of certified inspectors here. Some of these certified inspectors also provide SPCC plan writing services.

Upon review of your Hazardous Materials Registration Form, or your Hazardous Materials Business Plan, you will receive an invoice for your annual permit. Please pay this invoice in a timely manner to receive your permit.​

Rather than listing each chemical individually, you may aggregate materials by hazard class and storage areas.

The Hazardous Materials Registration Form is a simplified version of the HMBP. By submitting a HMBP, you are complying with both HMBP and HMSO program requirements. ​However, in addition to above-threshold hazardous materials, your HMBP must include below-threshold materials aggregated by hazard class and storage location.​​

If you believe you may need a Toxic Gas Facility Permit for your facility, contact us for additional information.

Please complete and submit a Hazardous Materials Clearance Form​ to HMCD.  ​

Please visit our Closures page.​​​​

For aboveground tank cutting and/or cleaning, the following documents are required to be submitted to HMCD if the tank is located in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County or within the city limits of Los Altos Hills, Moffett Field, Monte Sereno, San Martin, Stanford, Saratoga or Stanford:

• A completed Hazardous Materials Storage Tank System Cleaning/Cutting Application
• A completed Aboveground Tank Closure Application
• A copy of the Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan 

If the tank isn't within any of these areas, contact your local fire department.

For underground storage tank cutting and/or cleaning, the following documents are required to be submitted to HMCD if the tank is located within the cities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Monte Sereno, Moffett Field, Saratoga, San Jose, San Martin, Stanford or in unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County:

• A completed Hazardous Materials Storage Tank System Cleaning/Cutting Application
• A completed UST System Closure Permit Application
• A copy of the Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan 

If the tank isn't within any of these areas, contact your local fire department.

​"Meth" is short for Methamphetamine Hydrochloride. It is also known as speed, crank, crystal, ice, and yaba. It appears as a white crystalline powder or chunks, or clear crystals if it's very pure, but may appear yellowish or brownish due to contaminants.

The most common ingredient in meth is pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, commonly found in cold medicine. Through a cooking process the pseudoephedrine or ephedrine is chemically changed into meth. The ingredients that are used in the process of making meth can include: ether, paint thinner, Freon, acetone, anhydrous ammonia, iodine crystals, red phosphorus, drain cleaner, battery acid, and lithium (taken from inside batteries). Manufacturing methamphetamine can result in explosions, fires, and the release of poisonous and/or corrosive gases.

For additional information, please click here for information from the Department of Justice or here for information from HMCD.

Fentanyl is a powerful severe pain medication. It is an opioid, like morphine, codeine, oxycodone (oxy) and methadone, which is synthesized in laboratories.  Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. 

Fentanyl is also known as Apache, China girl, China town, China white, Dance Fever, Goodfellas, Great Bear, He-Man, murder 8, jackpot, poison, TNT, tango and cash.  It is generally a white powder, and is often mixed with other drugs for injection, ingestion, snorting or smoking.

Fentanyl can easily be transferred from contaminated surfaces by touch from fingers to mouth or nose where it is easily absorbed and can being acting on the body. 

Please click here for additional information from HMCD.

If you suspect an illegal methamphetamine or fentanyl lab, do not approach it or the occupants. Call your local police department.

If you believe there is a methamphetamine or fentanyl related emergency, call 911.​

Your inspector should have left you with a copy of your inspection report. In this report, any violations that were observed during the inspection will be documented. You must correct the violations within 30 days (unless otherwise noted) and then return the Notice of Inspection with your comments and signature. For more information, please see our Official Notice of Inspection - Supplemental Information​ document.​​

​Inspections are not always scheduled ahead of time. They may occur at any time during normal business hours.