Businesses storing/handling hazardous materials equal to or greater that the minimum reportable quantities must complete a Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) for the safe storage and use of chemicals. The minimum reportable quantities for the HMBP Progam are:
- 55 gallons of a hazardous liquid
- 200 standard cubic feet of a compressed gas, including oxygen
- 500 pounds of a hazardous solid
Program Overview
The CUPA provides regulatory oversight for hazardous materials storage including:
- Permit issuance for sites having hazardous materials in reportable quantities (equal to or greater than 55 gallons, 500 pounds, 200 cubic feet)
- Routine inspections of hazardous materials storage sites
- Collection, processing and review of hazardous materials business plans
- Storage of hazardous materials business plans for public review under federal community right-to-know laws
- Transmittal of hazardous materials business plans to emergency response agencies
- Ensuring that hazardous materials storage sites perform adequate emergency response contingency planning
Common Hazardous Materials
Common hazardous materials include:
- Acetylene
- Antifreeze
- Diesel fuel
- Gasoline
- New and used oil
- Propane
- Solvents, etc.
HMBP Submittal
CalEPA requires a businesses HMBP to be submitted and updated annually. These plans are then verified by our department. The online submittal is part of the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
The components of an HMBP consist of at least 3 sections (or elements):
- Facility Information
- Hazardous Materials Inventory
- Emergency Response Plan
If you have above-ground or underground tanks, there are additional elements that need to be submitted.
Element Information
The Facility Information element has two pages that define the business activities and contact information at your facility. The Hazardous Material Inventory element has two pages that detail what chemicals you are storing and their location (the Site Map). The Emergency Response plan element is where you submit your procedures for handling a spill or leak, and for training your employees. The additional elements for tanks provide information about the tanks at your facility (if any), what they store, and how they are monitored.
Some of these requirements can be satisfied by uploading templates to make it easier. These templates and instructions are available on the Forms page , and are optional. Keep in mind that for the Emergency Response element, if you use the "Emergency Contingency Plan" template, it will satisfy both the Emergency Response and Employee Training Plan requirements with one document. The Site Map template and instructions can be used to satisfy the map requirement under the Hazardous Materials Inventory element.