Section 25501.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25501.
in effectUnless the context indicates otherwise, the following definitions govern the construction of this article:
(a)
“Agricultural handler” means a business operating a farm that is subject to the exemption specified in Section 25507.1.
(b)
“Area plan” means a plan established pursuant to Section 25503 by a unified program agency for emergency response to a release or threatened release of a hazardous material within a city or county.
(c)
“Business” means all of the following:
(1)
An employer, self-employed individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, corporation, partnership, limited liability
partnership or company, or other business entity.
(2)
A business organized for profit and a nonprofit business.
(3)
The federal government, to the extent authorized by law.
(4)
An agency, department, office, board, commission, or bureau of state government, including, but not limited to, the campuses of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California.
(5)
An agency, department, office, board, commission, or bureau of a city, county, or district.
(6)
A handler that operates or owns a unified program facility.
(d)
“Business plan” means a separate plan for each unified program
facility, site, or branch of a business that meets the requirements of Section 25505.
(e)
(1)
“Certified unified program agency” or “CUPA” means the agency certified by the secretary to implement the unified program specified in Chapter 6.11 (commencing with Section 25404) within a jurisdiction.
(2)
“Participating agency” or “PA” means an agency that has a written agreement with the CUPA pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 25404.3, and is approved by the secretary, to implement or enforce one or more of the unified program elements specified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 25404, in accordance with Sections 25404.1 and 25404.2.
(3)
“Unified program agency” or “UPA” means the CUPA, or its participating agencies to the extent each PA has been designated by the CUPA,
pursuant to a written agreement, to implement or enforce a particular unified program element specified in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 25404. For purposes of this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531), the UPAs have the responsibility and authority, to the extent provided by this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) and Sections 25404.1 and 25404.2, to implement and enforce only those requirements of this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) listed in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 25404.
(4)
The UPAs also have the responsibility and authority, to the extent provided by this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) and Sections 25404.1 and 25404.2, to implement and enforce the regulations adopted to implement the requirements of this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) listed in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision
(c) of Section 25404. After a CUPA has been certified by the secretary, the unified program agencies shall be the only local agencies authorized to enforce the requirements of this article and Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) listed in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 25404 within the jurisdiction of the CUPA.
(f)
“City” includes any city and county.
(g)
“Chemical name” means the scientific designation of a substance in accordance with the nomenclature system developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or the system developed by the Chemical Abstracts Service.
(h)
“Common name” means any designation or identification, such as a code name, code number, trade name, or brand name, used to identify a substance by other than its chemical name.
(i)
“Compressed gas” means a material, or mixture of materials, that meets either of the following:
(1)
The definition of compressed gas or cryogenic fluid found in the California Fire Code.
(2)
Compressed gas that is regulated pursuant to Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code.
(j)
“Consumer product” means a commodity that is used for personal, family, or household purposes, or that is present in the same form, concentration, and quantity as a product prepackaged for distribution to a consumer for personal, family, or household purposes. A product that is not sold for personal, family, or household use is not a “consumer product.”
(k)
“Emergency response
personnel” means a public employee, including, but not limited to, a firefighter or emergency rescue personnel, as defined in Section 245.1 of the Penal Code, or personnel of a local emergency medical services (EMS) agency, as designated pursuant to Section 1797.200, who is responsible for response, mitigation, or recovery activities in a medical, fire, or hazardous material incident, or natural disaster where public health, public safety, or the environment may be impacted.
(
l
)
“Handle” means all of the following:
(1)
(A)
To use, generate, process, produce, package, treat, store, emit, discharge, or dispose of a hazardous material in any fashion.
(B)
For purposes of subparagraph (A), “store” does not include the storage of hazardous materials incidental to transportation, as described in
Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, with regard to the inventory requirements of Section 25506.
(2)
(A)
The use or potential use of a quantity of hazardous material by the connection of a marine vessel, tank vehicle, tank car, or container to a system or process for any purpose.
(B)
For purposes of subparagraph (A), the use or potential use does not include the immediate transfer to or from an approved atmospheric tank or approved portable tank that is regulated as loading or unloading incidental to transportation by Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(m)
“Handler” means a business that handles a hazardous material.
(n)
(1)
“Hazardous material” means a material listed in paragraph (2) that,
because of its quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment, or a material specified in an ordinance adopted pursuant to paragraph (3).
(2)
Hazardous materials include all of the following:
(A)
A substance or product for which the manufacturer or producer is required to prepare a material safety data sheet pursuant to the Hazardous Substances Information and Training Act (Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 6360) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Labor Code) or pursuant to any applicable federal law or regulation.
(B)
A substance listed as a radioactive material in Appendix B of Part 30 (commencing with Section 30.1) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, as maintained and updated by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
(C)
A substance listed pursuant to Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(D)
A substance listed in Section 339 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.
(E)
A material listed as an extremely hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25115, a hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25117, or a hazardous substance, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 78075.
(3)
The governing body of a unified program agency may adopt an ordinance that provides that, within the jurisdiction of the unified program agency, a material not listed in paragraph (2) is a hazardous material for purposes of this article if a handler has a reasonable basis for believing that
the material would be injurious to the health and safety of persons or harmful to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment, and requests the governing body of the unified program agency to adopt that ordinance, or if the governing body of the unified program agency has a reasonable basis for believing that the material would be injurious to the health and safety of persons or harmful to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment. The handler or the unified program agency shall notify the secretary no later than 30 days after the date an ordinance is adopted pursuant to this paragraph.
(o)
“Release” means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment, unless permitted or authorized by a regulatory agency.
(p)
“Retail establishment”
means a business that sells consumer products prepackaged for direct distribution to, and intended for use by, the end user. A retail establishment may include storage areas or storerooms in establishments that are separated from shelves for display areas but maintained within the physical confines of the retail establishment. A retail establishment does not include a pest control dealer, as defined in Section 11407 of the Food and Agricultural Code.
(q)
“Secretary” means the Secretary for Environmental Protection.
(r)
“Statewide information management system” means the statewide information management system established pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 25404 that provides for the combination of state and local information management systems for the purposes of managing unified program data.
(s)
“Supplier”
means a manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer in the state that sells or provides hazardous materials to a business in the state.
(t)
“Threatened release” means a condition, circumstance, or incident making it necessary to take immediate action to prevent, reduce, or mitigate a release that has the potential to cause damage or harm to persons, property, or the environment.
(u)
“Trade secret” means trade secrets as defined in either subdivision (f) of Section 7924.510 of the Government Code or paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1061 of the Evidence Code.
(v)
“Unified program facility” means all contiguous land and structures, other appurtenances, and improvements on the land that are subject to the requirements of paragraphs (4) and (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 25404. For purposes of this
article, “facility” has the same meaning as unified program facility.
References
referencesCal. Labor Code - LAB § 6300.
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 245.1.
referencesCal. Labor Code - LAB § 6360.
referencesCal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 11407.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 7924.510.
referencesCal. Evidence Code - EVID § 1061.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25507.1.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25503.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25505.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25404.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25404.3.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25404.1.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25531.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 1797.200.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25506.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 30.1.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25115.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25117.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 78075.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026