Enforcement’s Core Activities

Enforcement protects public health and the environment through the following core activities:

• Regularly inspect facilities that are authorized under full permits and standardized permits for compliance with applicable requirements for hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal;
• Inspect hazardous waste generators, transporters, used oil recycling facilities and handlers, and electronic waste recyclers and handlers;
• Target compliance initiatives to specific geographic regions and industries by using data and intelligence sources;
• Collaborate with DTSC’s Office of Permitting (OP) and Geologic Services Branch (GSB) to evaluate and inspect groundwater monitoring systems at operating and closed land disposal facilities;
• Solicit illegal hazardous waste management complaints, operate the statutorily mandated Waste Alert Hotline, collaborate with Cal/EPA to implement the Single Complaint Tracking System for environmental concerns, and triage investigation-related complaints for referral to other agencies;
• Investigate illegal hazardous waste activity and restricted materials complaints;
• Conduct timely and appropriate enforcement actions on violations found through inspections and complaints;
• Support OP in evaluating permit and permit modification applications;
• Support and evaluate the hazardous waste portion of the Certified Unified Program Agencies’ (CUPAs) implementation of the Unified Program;
• Implement the Unified Program as the CUPA for Imperial and Trinity Counties;
• Coordinate and provide trainers for the Cal/EPA Basic Inspector Academy training, for Cal/EPA BDOs, CUPAs, and other law enforcement agencies; and,
• Coordinate hazardous waste inspection and enforcement activities with US EPA, CUPAs and other agencies.