Agricultural Handlers |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Consolidated emergency contingency plan template (Revised) | The consolidated emergency contingency plan template provides a basic emergency response plan and a basic training plan for an average small to mid-size regulated facility. | UP Guidance Letter 17-01 5/9/17 | Business Regulator | 5/9/17 |
| Regulation of Agricultural Handlers Under the Unified Program | Specific and non-specific exemptionsexist for agricultural handlers in four Unified Program elements: Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans (HMRRP) and Inventories (Business Plan), California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP), Hazardous Waste Generator, and Underground Storage Tank Programs. | UP Bulletin 0405-02 | Business Regulator | 12/13/2004 |
| Agricutural Handlers Exemption | Clarifies the statutory and regulatory exemptions that apply to agricultural businesses under the Unified Program: Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans Inventory (Business Plan/HMRRP), California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP), Hazardous Waste Generator, Underground Storage Tank, and Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Programs. | UP Guidance Letter 13-04 | Regulator | 3/19/2013 |
Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Aboveground Petroleum Tank Reporting Requirements | Do I have to file an Aboveground Storage Tank Facility Statement if I have already reported a hazardous Materials Business Plan? | FAQ | Business | 11/24/2014 |
| Is My Facility Regulated Under APSA? | How do I know if my facility is regulated under the Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) and what types of aboveground storage tanks, containers and equipment are regulated under APSA? | FAQ | Business | 8/19/2016 |
| Should I file an SPCC Plan in CERS? | Should I file a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan in CERS? | FAQ | Business | 11/24/2014 |
Compliance, Monitoring, Enforcement (CME) |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| How to Report Non-Inspection Related Violations | How should non-inspection violations be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | 3/26/2014 |
| Reporting Statewide Compliance Activities? | How should inspections, violations, and enforcement relating to statewide enforcement cases be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | 9/5/2014 |
| Formal Enforcement Summary | Does the completion of the Enforcement Summary in CERS meet the requirement to submit a formal enforcement report to CalEPA for each case that has received a final judgement? | FAQ | Regulator | 1/15/2015 |
| Formal Enforcement Action Guidance for Environmental Violations | Clarifies the Unified Programs standards regarding how to determine whether a California Unified Program (CUPA) is taking appropriate enforcement actions where severe violations are identified. In order to comply with the requirements of both federal and state program mandates, CalEPA shall require that CUPAs implement a consistent enforcement response that is in compliance with the individual program requirements and CalEPA regulations. | UP Bulletin 0910-02 | Business Regulator | 3/29/2010 |
| Reporting of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) Data | California Code of Regulations, Title 27 now defines the compliance monitoring, inspection, violation and enforcement (CME) data that each CUPA is required to submit for each program element. Reports of CME data are required to be submitted electronically to CERS within 30 days of each completed quarter per fiscal year. | UP Guidance Letter 14-02 | Regulator | 1/17/2014 |
| Reporting Re-inspections and Related Violations | How should I report re-inspections or follow up inspections? How should I report related violations? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/3/2014 |
| How to Report Multi-Day Inspection in CERS | How should multi-day inspections be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 3-12-15 |
| Creating a Facility to Report CME Data | How do I report CME data for a facility that is not in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 10-31-14 |
| Citation for Failure to Report Unitfied Program Information | How should Unified Program Agencies (UPAs) cite violations for failure to report Unified Program information? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 5-18-15 |
Electronic Reporting |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| PA to CUPA Electronic Reporting Relationship | To establish the long term electronic information reporting relationship between CalEPA, CUPAs and their Participating Agency (PAs). | UP Bulletin 1011-01 | Regulator | 4/8/2011 |
| California Environmental Reporting System | Effective Jan.1, 2013, all Unified Program related data must be reported electronically. This policy covers responsibilities and actions of CUPAs, PAs and CalEPA as partners regarding the use of CERS. It is essential that CalEPA, CUPAs and PAs have defined roles and responsibilities to ensure that statewide electronic reporting operates efficiently and effectively. | UP Bulletin UP-13-02 | Business Regulator | 1/28/2013 |
| Prioritizing Regulated Businesses Electronic Submission of Unified Program Information | This guidance letter provides a tool for UPAs to help guide the use of resources in systematically obtaining the required chemical inventory information from regulated businesses. To assist UPAs with prioritizing the use of resources to help in getting businesses to report into CERS, CalEPA compiled the attached Chemicals of Concern Prioritization Table to identify the hazardous materials that pose the highest risk. Chemicals of Concern Prioritization Table:https://calepa.ca.gov/CUPA/Bulletins/2014/Feb12Attach.doc | UP Guidance Letter 14-05 | Regulator | 2/12/2014 |
| Adding a New User (Business with Two or More Facilities) | This document shows how to add a new person/user to your CERS business, if they do not already have a CERS account. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 7-5-13 |
Facility Management |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Requesting Access to an Existing CERS Business/Facility | This brief document explains how to request access to an existing business/facility in CERs to begin reporting on the business/facility. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 9-24-12 |
| Adding Your First New Facility | If you have searched CERS and determined that your facility is not in CERs, you can follow this guide to create it. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 7-5-13 |
| How to Change a Facility Address | If your facility address has changed (e.g. the street has been renamed) or you need to correct a previous data entry error follow these steps | Help Guide | Business | 10/3/2014 |
General |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Adding a New User (Business with Two or More Facilities) | This brief document shows how to add a new person/user to your CERS business if they do not already have a CERS account. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 7-5-13 |
| Generic Email Accounts for Business Users in CERS | This policy covers the requirements needed for an appropriate email format for CERS business users and the rationale for not using generic email accounts. | UP Policy Memo 13-06 | Business | 6/28/2013 |
| Download Business User Email Accounts | How can I obtain a list of the email contact information for all regulated facilities in my jurisdiction? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 10-2-14 |
| CME Reporting for Statewide Enforcement Cases | How should CME data for statewide enforcement cases be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | 9/5/2014 |
| Reporting Enforcement for all Violations | Should an Enforcement Action be Reported in CERS for Every Violation? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/27/2015 |
| Reporting Re-inspections and Related Violations | How should I report re-inspections or follow up inspections? How should I report related violations? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/3/2014 |
| Creating a Facility to Report CME Data | How do I report CME data for a facility that is not in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 10-31-14 |
| Download Business User Email Addresses | How a Regulator user can download email addresses for business users within their jurisdiction. | FAQ | Regulator | 10/2/2014 |
| Formal Enforcement Summary | Does the completion of the Enforcement Summary in CERS meet the requirement to submit a formal enforcement report to CalEPA for each case that has received a final judgement? | FAQ | Regulator | 1/15/2015 |
| Reporting Multiple Identical Violations | How should multiple identical violations be reported in CERS: as a single violation with multiple instances or as multiple violations? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/28/2015 |
| Determining Unified Program Element Regulated Facility Counts | Find counts of regulated facilities for an Unified Program element by using the search criteria. | FAQ | Regulator | 6/22/2015 |
| Citations for Failure to Report Unified Program Information | How should Unified Program Agencies (UPAs) cite violations for failure to report Unified Program information? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 5-18-15 |
| Reporting Escalated Violations | How should violations raised to a higher class be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/27/2015 |
| How to Report Non-Inspection Related Violations | How should non-inspection violations be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | 3/26/2014 |
| How to Report Multi-Day Inspections in CERS | How should multi-day inspections be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 3-12-15 |
| Onsite Maintenance of Required Unified Program Information | If required Unified Program information can be readily accessed onsite by facility staff and UPA inspectors through electronic means, it is not necessary for a regulated business to also maintain a copy of such information onsite in another format. (i.e. hard or soft copy documents). | UP Policy Memo 14-01 | Business Regulator | REVISED 7-7-14 |
| Requesting Access to an Existing CERS Business/Facility | This explains how to request access to an existing business/facility in CERS to begin reporting for the business/facility. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 9-24-12 |
| Adding Your First New Facility | If you have searched CERS and determined that your facility is not in CERS, you can follow this guide to create it. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 7-5-13 |
| CERS General Business Portal FAQs | A listing of general questions business users have submitted to CERS Technical Support. | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 10-3-14 |
| Adding a New Person/User to your CERS Business | This brief document shows how to add a new person/user to have access to the facility(s) for your CERS Business. | Help Guide | Business | 7/5/2013 |
| Submission of Annual Inspection and Enforcement Summary Reports and Annual Single Fee Summary Report | For information covering Fiscal Year 2012/2013, CUPAs need to continue to submit the Annual Inspection and Enforcement Summary Reports (Reports 3 and 4) and the Annual Single Fee Summary Report (Report 2) via fax, email, or mailed hard copy to CalEPA. | UP Guidance Letter 13-05 | Regulator | 4-19-13 |
| What Are the Most Common CERS Reporting Errors? | What are the most common CERS reporting errors that CUPAs and PAs see in business submittals to CERS? | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 1-21-15 |
Hazardous Material Business Plan (HMBP) |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Are Remote Unstaffed Facilities Exempt from Reporting? | Are remote unstaffed facilities exempt from electronic reporting requirements? | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 6-1-15 |
| Exempt Remote Unstaffed Facility Information in CERS | How should a Unified Program Agency manage exempt remote unstaffed facility information in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 6-22-15 |
| Is an HMBP Required to be Submitted Annually? | Is a business required to submit the entire Hazardous Materials Business Plan annually and if so when? | FAQ | Business | 10/11/2016 |
| Obsolete Tier Hazard Categories | Why are some Fire Hazard Categories no longer available in CERS Chemical Library? | FAQ | Business | 10/3/2014 |
| Reporting for the Hazardous Materials Business Plan Program Below Threshold Quantities | If the governing body of a UPA has adopted a local law or ordinance requiring a business to report hazardous materials in quantities below those required by Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.95, Section 25507, the UPA shall implement and enforce this requirement as part of the local Unified Program. | UP Guidance Letter 14-04 9/17/14 | Business Regulator | 9/17/2014 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for Lead Acid Battery Inventory Reporting-Guidance and Template | To establish a uniform inventory form and reporting format for lead acid batteries at hazardous materials businesses that CalEPA, local CUPAs, and regulated businesses will be able to use to ensure that critical information about lead acid batteries is consistently collected and reported. A template has been incorporated within CERS as an approved chemical record in the chemical library for use by businesses and CUPAs. | UP Policy Memo 11-03 4/28/11 | Business Regulator | 4/28/2011 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for Hazard Classification: Solids and Liquids | To provide guidance to be used by CalEPA, CUPAs and regulated businesses to ensure that critical information about regulated solids and liquids are consistently collected and reported. The Hazardous Materials Business Plan Technical Advisory Group and the Hazardous Materials Steering Committee developed a standard for classifying solids and liquids. | UP Policy Memo 11-07 6/7/12 | Business Regulator | 6/7/12 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for Hazard Classification: Gases- Guidance for Hazard Classification | To provide guidance to be used by CalEPA, CUPAs and regulated businesses to ensure that critical information about regulated gases are consistently collected and reported. The Hazardous Materials Business Plan Technical Advisory Group and the Hazardous Materials Steering Committee developed a standard for classifying compressed gases. | UP Policy Memo 11-06 6/7/12 | Business Regulator | 6/7/2012 |
| Annual Hazardous Materials Inventory Certification | Can a business annually submit only the Facility Information submittal element with a comment that there has been no change to the Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement (HMIS) to meet the requirement for an annual resubmittal or certification? | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 8-20-14 |
| Policy for Hazardous Materials Inventory Reporting Timing | This policy confirms that electronic reporting meets both state and federal reporting requirements and clarifies the reporting timing requirements to allow local agencies reasonable flexibility in determining effective and efficient local reporting timing and to encourage reporting consistency statewide. Supersedes Policy Memo UP-13-01. | UP Guidance Letter 15-01 9/1/15 | Business Regulator | 9/1/2015 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for Hazardous Materials Inventory Reporting Timing | This policy confirms that electronic reporting meets both state and federal reporting requirements and clarifies the reporting timing requirements to allow local agencies reasonable flexibility in determining effective and efficient local reporting timing and to encourage reporting consistency statewide.Superseded by UP Guidance Letter 15-01. | UP Policy Memo 13-01 1/2/13 | Business Regulator | 1/2/2013 |
Hazardous Waste |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Hazardous Waste Periodic Waste Generation - How to answer Business Activities questions. | Questions related to sites that use a Temporary EPA ID or that rarely, but routinely, generate hazardous waste. | FAQ | Business | 12/30/2017 |
| How should a Hazardous Waste Remote Site Answer Business Activities Related Questions? | Are remote hazardous waste sites that comply with applicable rules required to answer "Yes" to the Business Activities Question: "Does your facility generate hazardous waste"? | FAQ | Business | 12/29/2017 |
| Hazardous Waste Remote Waste Generation | Should a CUPA mark “yes” on the CERS Regulator Portal Facility Summary Page under the title “Remote Site” for hazardous waste remote sites where waste is produced? | FAQ | Regulator | 11/17/2017 |
Submittals |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| HMBP No Change Submittals | How to make an HMBP-related submittal when there have been no changes from the previous submittal. | FAQ | Business | 10/7/2015 |
| Making a Submittal from a Previous Submittal | How do I make a submittal if there have been no changes from my last submittal? | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 11-6-14 |
| Downloading Submittal Review Comments | How can I find and download inspector submittal review comments? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 5-15-14 |
| Accepting the Facility Information Submittal Element | How should a submittal be processed if the facility submittal element is not acceptable but other submittal elements are? Can the Facility Information submittal status be set to Not Accepted and the others are set to Accepted? | FAQ | Regulator | 1/20/2015 |
| Setting “Accepted” Submittal Status | What criteria should be considered for accepting a submittal? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 1-28-15 |
| Should New Construction Permitting Process Include CERS? | Should a UPA require a CERS submittal as part of new construction permitting and plan checking? | FAQ | Regulator | 3/2/2015 |
| Can Submittals be Deleted? | Can submittals be deleted from CERS? What if a submittal was submitted to the wrong facility (CERS ID)? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 12-19-14 |
| Is a Submittal Required for New Construction or Tenant Improvements? | Should a CERS Submittal be required as part of a new construction or tenant improvement project permitting process? | FAQ | Regulator | 3/5/2015 |
| Submittals Made By Military or Other Federal Government Operated Facilities in CERS | This guidance letter provides instruction on how the UPA should process CERS electronic Business Plan submittals from federal or government operated facilities. | UP Guidance Letter 14-07 2/28/14 | Regulator | 2/28/2014 |
| CalEPA United Program Policy for Federal Facility Payment Disputes of General Oversight Charges | CalEPA will not find a CUPA deficient in program implementation for failure to collect the portion of the General Oversight surcharge from federal facilities for the disputed program areas of Fire Code and Business Plan programs. CalEPA is not discouraging any CUPA from taking appropriate action to enforce collection of the General Oversight surcharge should it choose to do so. To aid CalEPA in determining the extent of the dispute, federal refusal to pay must be reported to the CalEPA Unified Program by the CUPAs. Rescinds UP Bulletin 0910-01 and 0809-01. | UP Guidance Letter 12-01 Revised 7/27/17 | Regulator | Amended 10-31-13 |
Surcharge |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Federal Facility Payment Disputes of General Oversight Surcharges | This bulletin addresses the issue of disputed state surcharge assessments on federal Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, which also includes the increase to the General Oversight surcharge authorized by Assembly Bill 2286 (Feuer) signed into law by the Governor on Sept. 29, 2008. Rescinded by UP Guidance Letter 12-01. Rescinds UP Bulletin 0607-01. | UP Bulletin 0910-01 3/29/10 Recinded by UP Guidance Letter 12-01 | Regulator | 3/29/2010 |
| Department of Defense Facility Fee Payment Guide | CUPAs required to use a Single Fee System to assess and collect fees from regulated facilities, including those owned by the federal government. For the Business Plan and California Fire Code programs, the Department of Defense (DOD) has asserted there is not clear waiver of sovereign immunity in federal law. Payment of fees associated with these programs by DOD has been disputed and most DOD facilities have refused to pay these fees. Also see: Opinion No. 07-312 Letter to the AG Office https://calepa.ca.gov/CUPA/Bulletins/2007/Opinion07312.pdf | 0809-01 6/29/09 Recinded by UP Guidance Letter 0910-01 | Regulator | REVISED 9-25-09 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for the Single Fee System and the Fee Accountability Program | To clarify the single fee system and fee accountability program requirements for UPAs and State agencies with Unified Program responsibilities. | UP Policy Memo 11-04 6/1/11 | Regulator | 6/1/2011 |
Underground Storage Tank (UST) |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Which Forms Require Uploading to CERS? | Which forms are required to be submitted or uploaded in CERS? What forms must be signed before they are uploaded? | FAQ | Business | REVISED 1-14-15 |
| Are Hard Copies of Documents Required to be Kept Onsite? | Do I have to retain hard copies of UST related documents onsite at my facility? What about the UST Permit issued by the CUPA? | FAQ | Business | 7/9/2014 |
| Assigning Existing USTs to a New Facility | Should a new business that takes over an existing UST facility change the tank ID numbers? | FAQ | Regulator | 6/28/2016 |
| Notice to Permanently Close Single Wall USTs | UST Announcement: All Single Wall Underground Storage Tank (UST) and Piping Systems Must be Permanently Closed by December 31, 2025. | FAQ | Business | 12/2/2014 |
| How Should a Changed UST Tank ID be Handled | How a changed UST Tank ID should be handled. | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 2-3-16 |
| General Reporting Requirements for UST Sites | What are the general reporting requirements for Underground Storage Tank (UST) sites? Does every field have to be completed? | FAQ | Business | REVISED 9-11-15 |
| Reporting Underground Storage Tank Information | CalEPA and the State Water Resources Control Board have concluded that specific documents listed in the Appendix of this guidance Letter may be provided by regulated businesses either electronically as uploaded PDF files into CERS, or in the manner used before electronic reporting was implemented. | Up Guidance Letter 14-08 10/27/14 | Business Regulator | 10/27/2014 |
| Reporting Abandoned USTs | Should abandoned USTs be reported in CERS? | FAQ | Business Regulator | 10/31/2014 |
| Updated: Creating a Valid UST Report 6 | How to create a valid UST Report 6 in CERS. | FAQ | Regulator | REVISED 4-26-16 |
| How to Report Tank Contents | How should I report tank contents? | FAQ | Business | UPDATED 10-20-14 |
| Reporting Requirements for Repairs or New USTs | When should you make a submittal in CERS to report repairs or a new UST? | FAQ | Business | 10/20/2014 |
| Can or Should I Change a UST Tank ID Number | Can or should I change a UST Tank ID Number? | FAQ | Business | 2/3/2016 |
| When Should a Submittal be Made for Repairs or New USTs? | When should a UPA require a CERS submittal for existing UST repairs or for new UST installations? | FAQ | Regulator | 10/31/2014 |
| Reporting BOE Numbers | How should Underground Storage Tank BOE numbers be reported? | FAQ | Business | 10/10/2014 |
| BOE Tank Number Collection | To establish the framework that CalEPA, the State Board of Equalization (BOE) and local CUPA's will be able to use to ensure that critical information about underground storage tanks and owners is routinely collected by UPA's and communicated to BOE. | UP Bulletin 0910-06 9/13/10 | Regulator | 9/13/10 |
| When Can a UST Operating Permit be Issued? | Can a UPA issue a UST operating permit if the facility has not submitted electronically to CERS or a local portal? What if the facility has submitted but the UPA does not accept the submittal? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 4-13-15 |
| How to Enter Red Tag Information | How do I enter Red Tag information? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 10-23-14 |
| CalEPA Unified Program Policy for the Review of Underground Storage Tank Construction for Ethanol Fueling Systems Constructed by Propel | Newly introduced fuels, which are chemically different than gasoline (such as ethanol), must only be used in UST systems that have been tested and approved fw of its E-85 fueling system design, including equipment, to determine if it is in compliance with state requirements for UST and underground piping system installation. | UP Policy Memo 11-05 3/14/16 | Regulator | 9/19/2011 |
UST - Report 6 |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Creating a Valid Report 6 from CERS | How does a UPA ensure that the CERS generated Report 6 provides current, accurate information? NOTE: Updated 7/24/15 to remove section on Financial Responsibility Verification as it was not directly related to preparing Report 6. | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 7-24-15 |
| The Relationship Between Semi-Annual UST Program Reporting (Report 6) and CERS | It has been determined that UPAs must continue to submit the paper version of Report 6 to the State Water Resources Control Board by Mar.1, 2013 and Sept.1, 2013 until all necessary UST data can be inputted by businesses and UPAs. UST data should be entered into CERS by Jan.1, 2014. The State Water Board will inform UPAs when they no longer need to submit the paper Report 6 forms. | Up Guidance Letter 13-03 3/5/13 | Regulator | 3/5/2013 |
UST - Submittal |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| Is ICC Certification Required for Submittal Review? | Must a person possess a current inspector certification issued by the International Code Council (ICC) in order to review and accept submitted Underground Storage Tank (UST) data elements in CERS? | FAQ | Regulator | UPDATED 3-26-14 |
UST - Surcharge |
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| Document Title | Description | Document Type | Audience | Date |
| UST Surcharge | Clarification for transition from the 5-year UST fee to the annual Unified Program surcharge (consistent with SWRCB’s LG-142, dated 12-28-85). | UP Bulletin 0304-05 11/20/03 | Regulator | 11-20-03 |