California Health and Safety Code Section 25536.6

CA Health & Safety Code § 25536.6 (2017)  

(a) Each local implementing agency shall develop an integrated alerting and notification system, in coordination with local emergency management agencies, unified program agencies, local first response agencies, petroleum refineries, and the public, to be used to notify the community surrounding a petroleum refinery in the event of an incident at the refinery warranting the use of the automatic notification system. The integrated alerting and notification system shall include the following when determined to be appropriate and consistent with the unified program agency area plan:

(1) Text messaging.

(2) Calls to landline and cellular telephones.

(3) Activation of the Emergency Alert System.

(4) National Weather Service alerts to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radios.

(5) Social media communications.

(6) New technologies when developed.

(7) An audible alarm.

(b) (1) The integrated alerting and notification system shall alert and notify the communities surrounding a petroleum refinery, including schools, public facilities, hospitals, transient and special needs populations, and residential care homes.

(2) The area of the community that is to be alerted and notified shall be determined by the local implementing agency in coordination with unified program agencies, local first response agencies, petroleum refineries, and the public.

(c) If an integrated alerting and notification system has not been developed and implemented by January 1, 2018, the local implementing agency shall, in coordination with the unified program agency, local first response agencies, petroleum refineries, and the public, determine an appropriate integrated alerting and notification system to be developed consistent with subdivisions (a) and (b) and, on or before January 1, 2019, shall develop a schedule for developing and implementing the integrated alerting and notification system.

(d) The local implementing agency, through an interagency agreement or memorandum of understanding with the unified program agency and the county’s operational area coordinator, shall manage, operate, coordinate, and maintain the integrated alerting and notification system developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b).

(e) A unified program agency shall ensure that the integrated alerting and notification system required pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) is included in, or consistent with, the unified program agency area plan and Chapter 4.5 of Division 2 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations.

(f) A petroleum refinery shall immediately call the emergency 9-1-1 telephone number and notify the unified program agency, pursuant to Section 25510, in the event of an incident warranting the use of the integrated alerting and notification system.

(g) A unified program agency shall make the RMP of a petroleum refinery available to the public at the unified program agency’s office during normal business hours or by appointment, or both, consistent with Section 2775.5 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations.

(h) A unified program agency, in coordination with the local implementing agency, shall establish a fee that a petroleum refinery shall pay in an amount to cover the reasonable and necessary costs for the design, building, and installation of the integrated alerting and notification system developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b). This fee shall be separate from the unified program single fee system levied pursuant to Section 25404.5 and shall be approved by the governing body of the local implementing agency. The money received from this fee shall be transferred to the local implementing agency for the design, building, and installation of the integrated alerting and notification system developed pursuant subdivisions (a) and (b).

(i) A unified program agency, in coordination with the local implementing agency, shall establish a fee, as part of the unified program single fee system levied on a petroleum refinery pursuant to Section 25404.5, in an amount sufficient to cover the reasonable and necessary costs for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the integrated alerting and notification system developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b). The moneys collected from this fee shall be transferred to the local implementing agency for operating and maintaining the integrated alerting and notification system developed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b).

(j) The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shall work with the local implementing agencies and the unified program agencies to develop a model memorandum of understanding between adjacent jurisdictions for integration of alerting and notification systems that will operate across jurisdictional boundaries.

(k) The local implementing agency shall ensure that there are agreements with adjacent jurisdictions to coordinate alerts, notifications, and messaging when a release crosses or threatens to cross jurisdictional boundaries. The agreements shall be documented in the unified program agency area plan.

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 588, Sec. 2. (AB 1646) Effective January 1, 2018.)

Last modified: October 25, 2018