CalEPA-DTSC Meeting With Guangzhou City Officials on Environmental Protection and Disaster Response
CalEPA-DTSC Meeting With Guangzhou City Officials on Environmental Protection and Disaster Response
By Ben Edokpayi
On January, 20, 2016 several staff members of the Department of Toxic Substances Control met with five officials from the Guangzhou City Bureau of Environmental Protection.
In the last twelve months, DTSC has hosted delegations from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and the Environment Protection Authority, Victoria (Australia) in information and experience exchange sessions. The Victoria EPA was received in April 2015 and the Abu Dhabi agency in October 2015.
According to Zhang Wei, leader of the delegation and Deputy Director of the Bureau, Guangzhou is a city of 17 million people. Other members of the delegation included Liu Tao, Division Chief of the Bureau, Huang Yanhui, Deputy Division Chief, Chao Saihong Vice Director and Zhang Anfei, Vice Director of the Bureau.
Representing DTSC at the meeting were: Meredith Williams, Ph.D., Deputy Director in charge of the Safer Products and Workplaces Program; Pauline Batarseh, Supervising Hazardous Substance Engineer in the Hazardous Waste Management Program; Fernando Amador, a Supervising Hazardous Substance Engineer; Peter Bailey in the Office of Permitting; Adam Palmer, Senior Environmental Scientist and Environmental Program Manager Denise Tsuji.
The meeting opened with an overview by Wei of Guangzhou’s environmental waste management program. He said his agency is responsible for environmental protection regarding water, water bodies, air, solid waste and air quality. He said the Bureau manages solid and hazardous waste from generation to storage, treatment and disposal. The Bureau’s function also includes medical waste management and hazardous waste permitting as well as pollution prevention. According to Wei, “we want to exchange ideas. We have learnt a lot from the U.S. regarding hazardous waste management practices.”
The presentations by DTSC staff began with Meredith Williams’ overview of the Safer Consumer Products program. She provided:
• The background and principles on the Safer Consumer Products Regulation
• Overview of regulatory framework, and
• The CalSAFER Online Communication Tool.
Highlights of Meredith’s presentation were:
“The first priority products were identified in 2014, and so far three PP have been identified. She also outlined the next categories of priority products in the workplan.”
“That California decided to take a unique approach to the SCP program based on a UC report on Green Chemistry, which was presented to DTSC, and which formed the basis of the Green Chemistry legislation in 2008, and which became effective in 2013.”
“That the Alternatives Analysis process will answer key questions such as: Is it (ingredient) necessary? Is there a safer alternative? and have regrettable substitutes been avoided? The AA process also needs to consider human health impacts and environmental impacts as a well as consider the full product life cycle.”
“The Framework of the Green chemistry law is to avoid regrettable substitutions. She cited the example of the chemical in BPA-free products linked to irregular heartbeats.”
“Because consumers are demanding and asking for safer consumer products companies are now trying to formulate products without toxic chemicals.”
“Any priority products identified by the program and sold in California will be regulated.”
“The hope is that the program will spur more innovation in Green Chemistry and greater market opportunities.”
In her overview of DTSC’s regulatory framework, Batarseh said the state’s Hazardous Waste Management Program in collaboration with Federal and local agencies, does the following:
• It issues permit decisions for proposed new hazardous waste facilities for approximately 120 existing hazardous waste facilities in California that treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste.
• Program’s staff conduct inspections and take enforcement actions to ensure compliance with hazardous waste laws and regulations.
• It oversees the hazardous waste generator program.
• It provides hazardous waste management-related policy support, regulatory and statutory interpretation, financial assurance, and data management support for internal and external stakeholders.
• Programs also provides emergency response support for hazardous materials-related emergencies throughout California.
She also told the delegation that DTSC regulates those who handle hazardous waste, including generators of waste, transporters and permitted facilities.
The Chinese delegation were particularly interested in how California handles violators of hazardous waste and how penalties are enforced. They wanted to know what kind of actions California implements when a facility does not agree with administrative actions by DTSC.
Environmental Program Manager Denise Tsuji told them that when a facility does not agree with administrative actions, “we try and talk to them and try to reach an agreement and if there is no agreement, either an administrative hearing or civil lawsuit will take place.”
They were also interested in who conducts the criminal investigation in environment cases. They were told that both the compliance group and criminal investigators in the department (who are sworn peace officers) can conduct investigations.
Other presentations by DTSC staff focused on:
• The Brownfield and Environmental Restoration Program
• DTSC’s Permitting Process
• Site Remediation Process, and
• Overview of Enforcement and Emergency Response.
In this picture I received an award for State Compensation Insurance Fund for Commute Champions at an event conducted at the Dixon May Fair Hall. Seen with me is Vince Jacala, a Phillipino American. We were co-workers at SCIF and he is now Publicity Chief at the Department of Transportation, District 4. Clear case of false advertising and falsehood about State Employees . https://dot.ca.gov/about-caltrans https://oag.ca.gov/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/24/politics/donald-trump-china-trade-war-xi-jinping/index.html
