ARTICLE 3. Closure Plans [43500. - 43510.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 3.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43500. Section 43500.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the long-term protection of air, water, and land from pollution due to the disposal of solid waste is best achieved by requiring financial assurances of the closure and postclosure maintenance of solid waste landfills.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43501. Section 43501.

(a) A person owning or operating a solid waste landfill, as defined in Section 40195.1, shall do both of the following: (1) Upon application to become an operator of a solid waste facility pursuant to Section 44001, certify to the board and the local enforcement agency that all of the following have been accomplished: (A) The owner or operator has prepared an initial estimate of closure and postclosure maintenance costs. (i) The board shall adopt regulations that provide for an increase in the initial closure and postclosure maintenance cost estimates to account for cost overruns due to unforeseeable circumstances, and to provide a reasonable contingency comparable to that which is built into cost estimates for other, similar public works projects. (ii) The board shall adopt regulations on or before January 1, 2008, that require closure and postclosure maintenance cost estimates to be based on reasonably foreseeable costs the state may incur if the state would have to assume responsibility for the closure and postclosure maintenance due to the failure of the owner or operator. Cost estimates shall include, but not be limited to, estimates in compliance with Sections 1770, 1773, and 1773.1 of the Labor Code, and the replacement and repair costs for longer lived items, including, but not limited to, repair of the environmental control systems. (B) The owner or operator has established a trust fund or equivalent financial arrangement acceptable to the board, as specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 43600). (C) The amounts that the owner or operator will deposit annually in the trust fund or equivalent financial arrangement acceptable to the board will ensure adequate resources for closure and postclosure maintenance. (2) Submit to the regional water board, the local enforcement agency, and the board a plan for the closure of the solid waste landfill and a plan for the postclosure maintenance of the solid waste landfill. (b) Notwithstanding subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) or any other provision of law, if the owner or operator is a county with a population of 200,000 or less, as determined by the 1990 decennial census, the county shall not be required to make annual deposits in excess of the amount required by the federal act or any other applicable federal law, or by any board-approved formula that meets the requirements of the federal act. (c) If not in conflict with federal law or regulations, a county or city may, with regard to a solid waste landfill owned or operated by the county or city, base its estimate of closure and postclosure maintenance costs on the costs of employing county or city employees or persons under contract with the county or city in performing closure and postclosure maintenance. However, even if, to meet federal requirements, the cost estimate is based on the most expensive costs of closure and postclosure maintenance performed by a third party, the county or city may, to effect cost savings, employ county or city employees or employ persons under contract to actually perform closure operations or postclosure maintenance operations.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43501.5. Section 43501.5.

(a) In addition to the requirements of this article, and Section 21780 of Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations, a person who is required to file a final closure plan shall also file with the enforcement agency a Labor Transition Plan that includes all of the following: (1) Provisions that ensure, subject to any requirements already established pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, preferential reemployment and transfer rights of displaced employees to comparable available employment with the same employer for a period of no less than one year following the closure of the solid waste facility. (2) Provisions to provide displaced employees assistance in finding comparable employment with other employers. (3) Provisions to ensure compliance with all applicable provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1400) of Part of 4 of Division 2 of the Labor Code. (b) When submitting the final closure plan, the operator shall submit, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (a), a certification to the board and the enforcement agency that the provisions described in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a), will be implemented, subject to any requirements already established under a collective bargaining agreement. (c) For the purposes of this section, “comparable employment” means the same or a substantially similar job classification at equal or greater wage and benefit levels in the same geographic region of the state.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43502. Section 43502.

All documentation relating to the preparation of the closure and postclosure maintenance costs shall be retained by the owner or operator and shall be available for inspection by the board or the enforcement agency at reasonable times.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43503. Section 43503.

The closure plan and the postclosure maintenance plan shall be submitted not later than the first date after July 1, 1990, that the solid waste facilities permit is required to be reviewed or revised pursuant to Section 44015. The closure plans and postclosure maintenance plans shall be included in that review. If the owner or operator intends to close the solid waste landfill on or before September 28, 1992, or if the solid waste landfill does not have sufficient permitted capacity to operate after September 28, 1992, the owner or operator shall submit the plans on or before July 1, 1990, or upon application to become an operator of a solid waste facility pursuant to Section 44001.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43504. Section 43504.

Pursuant to the procedural requirements in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 44001), the enforcement agency or the board may suspend or revoke a permit if the applicant fails within a reasonable period of time to submit an acceptable plan for the closure of the landfill and an acceptable plan for postclosure maintenance of the landfill.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43505. Section 43505.

The closure plan and the postclosure maintenance plan may be revised only upon the filing of a written application therefor by the owner or operator, and the approval, or amendment and approval, by the board.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43506. Section 43506.

(a) After receiving a complete closure plan and postclosure maintenance plan, the regional water board shall approve or disapprove the plans pursuant to the authority and time schedules specified in Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code. The board shall incorporate the action of the regional water board and shall only approve plans that include an acceptable mechanism for providing the necessary funds to implement the plans. (b) In reviewing closure plans and postclosure maintenance plans pursuant to this section, the regional water boards shall review and take action on those portions of the plans which are related to the protection of the waters of the state and the board shall review and take action on the remaining portions of the plans.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43507. Section 43507.

The owner and operator shall, regardless of any changes occurring during the continued operation of the landfill, close and maintain the landfill during postclosure in accordance with the most recent closure plan and the most recent postclosure maintenance plan approved by the board pursuant to this article. Upon receipt of the final shipment of solid waste, the most recent closure and postclosure maintenance plan shall become the governing document for the disposal site.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43508. Section 43508.

The board or the enforcement agency may recover any costs incurred in meeting the requirements of this article by charging a fee pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 41900) of Part 2.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43509. Section 43509.

(a) The board, in consultation with the state water board and in compliance with Section 40055, shall adopt and amend regulations specifying closure plan and postclosure maintenance plan adoption procedures and uniform standards to implement Section 43601. Regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall not include standards and requirements contained in regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code. The regulations shall also require solid waste landfill owners or operators to calculate, and periodically revise, cost estimates for closure and for postclosure maintenance, for as long as the solid waste could have an adverse effect on the quality of the waters of the state, but not less than 30 years after closure unless all wastes are removed in accordance with federal and state law. (b) The board may adopt regulations that authorize the adoption of both preliminary and final closure and postclosure maintenance plans. Regulations for preliminary closure and postclosure maintenance plans may require less specificity and engineering detail than final closure and postclosure maintenance plans, and these regulations shall apply only in those cases in which there is reasonable certainty that the solid waste landfill will not close for at least one year following approval of the plans. Preliminary closure and postclosure maintenance plans shall provide sufficient detail to enable the owner or operator and the board to accurately estimate the costs for closure and postclosure maintenance. (c) If a solid waste landfill owner or operator has submitted a closure plan and postclosure maintenance plan which satisfies the requirements of this chapter, and which has been approved by the local enforcement agency, the board, and the appropriate regional water board, the plans shall be deemed to have satisfactorily complied with all state requirements for the adoption of a closure plan and postclosure maintenance plan.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 43510. Section 43510.

(a) The regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this article and Article 4 (commencing with Section 43600) shall not duplicate or conflict with the regulations imposing closure and postclosure maintenance requirements adopted by the state water board which are found in Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 2510) of Chapter 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations. (b) On or before June 30, 1995, the board and the state water board shall revise the regulations adopted pursuant to this article and Article 4 (commencing with Section 43600) of this chapter and Section 13172 of the Water Code for the purpose of consolidating the requirements of the board and the state water board for closure and postclosure maintenance into one set of regulations.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026