CUPA Consolidated Billing Update: Important Changes for 2005

The Orange County Certified Unified Program Agency (OC CUPA) along with its ten Participating Agencies (PA) will be transitioning from a calendar year billing cycle to a fiscal year billing cycle beginning in 2005 in an effort to better manage the compliance programs and to better coordinate our financial activities with the regulated business community. We are hoping that early notification of this change will help you prepare for the impacts of this change to your business.

What this means to you as a regulated business:
Since 2002, a CUPA regulated business
 has received a consolidated bill that incorporates the fees from five regulatory programs and the State Service Charges. The five programs are: Hazardous Waste, Tiered Permitting, Hazardous Materials Disclosure/Inventory, California Accidental Release Prevention Plan (CalARP), and Underground Storage Tank.

In 2005, a CUPA regulated business will receive two consolidated bills which will cover an 18-month timeframe. The first bill will arrive in January and will cover the time period of January to June 2005. The fees will be 50% of the standard fee to reflect the six months. In July, a business will begin to receive the new annual consolidated bill covering the time period of July 2005 to June 2006.
In 2006 and the years after, a business will receive the consolidated bill in July.

For more information or questions

Please contact CUPA staff at (714) 667-3600 if you have questions or need more information.

Health Care Agency’s Bio-Terrorism Response Activities

The County of Orange Health Care Agency (HCA) has created a new Agency Operations Center (AOC). The AOC will direct HCA emergency response operations in a disaster and is designed to work in concert with the existing Operational Area Emergency Operations Center. HCA focused their terrorism preparedness and planning activities into two main areas: The HCA Agency Operations Center, and Mass Vaccination/Prophylaxis.

AOC staff has received numerous trainings and exercises in the Standardized Emergency Management System, which is the command system used by all operations centers in California. HCA has been actively working on a countywide Mass Vaccination / Prophylaxis plan, and a three-day field exercise will be conducted in May 2004. HCA accessed federal grant monies to provide personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and training for hospitals and ambulance services, designed to better prepare them to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive terrorist events.
HCA continues to work with Law Enforcement and Fire Services in the OC Terrorism Working Group to prepare for the best possible, unified response to terrorism.

For more detailed information log onto http://www.oc.ca.gov/hca/epi/bio/index.htm

Bioterrorism
Epidemiology & Assessment
The following information is provided by the Orange County Health Care Agency to provide guidance and factual information on appropriate measures to increase personal and family preparedness.
Bioterrorism: General Information: Smallpox, Terrorism: A Guide to Domestic Preparedness, FAQ’s, Dept. of Health Services
 

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Managing the rising waste in town: Universal Waste

Universal wastes are hazardous wastes that are more common and pose a lower risk to people and the environment than other hazardous wastes. Types of universal wastes include: batteries, non-empty aerosol cans, specific mercury-containing items, cathode ray tubes, fluorescent tubes and other specific lamps.

Federal and State regulations identify universal wastes and provide simple rules for handling, recycling, and disposing of them. The regulations, called the “Universal Waste Rule”, are in the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, division 4.5, chapter 23.

The increase in the awareness of electronic hazardous waste has prompted SB 20, Sher), enacting the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003. This Act establishes many requirements for regulatory agencies, electronic device manufacturers and retailers. Notably, the bill would require a retailer selling a covered electronic device in California to collect an electronic waste-recycling fee from the consumer for purchases on and

after July 1, 2004. Fees collected are deposited into an account, as established by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and are expended to make electronic waste recovery payments to authorized universal waste collectors and recyclers. Public information programs on recycling of hazardous electronic devices will also be funded from this account.

For more information and a detailed list of universal wastes and requirements, visit the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) website at www.dtsc.ca.gov . Click on “Electronic Hazardous Waste” from the home page, where you will find valuable information on this subject. Good information for households and small businesses can be found in “Managing Universal Waste in California: Rules for Managing Some Common Wastes” and “Summary of Universal Waste Handler Requirements”. If Internet access is not available, contact DTSC’s Public and Business Liasons at (800) 72-TOXIC.

Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 (SB 20)

Key elements of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 include:

• Reduction in hazardous substances used in certain electronic products sold in California

• Collection of an electronic waste recycling fee at the point of sale of certain products.

• Distribution of recovery and recycling payments to qualified entities covering the cost of electronic waste collection and recycling.

• Directive to establish environmentally preferred purchasing criteria for state agency purchases of certain electronic equipment.

 

It’s time for a change—using re-refined oil

The County of Orange Used Oil Recycling Program, which consists of 14 participating cities and the unincorporated areas in the County, is embarking on a new pilot project with re-refined oil. Cities and staff within the grant program are invited to use re-refined oil in their fleet or personal vehicles on a one-year trial basis, beginning in July 2004. After the one-year period, use of re-refined oil may continue, based on participation.
Re-refined base oil is the end product of a long process involving used oils. These oils are first cleansed of the contaminants, such as dirt, water, fuel, and heavy metals, through vacuum distillation. The oil is then hydrotreated to remove any remaining chemicals. This process is very similar to the process used by traditional oil refineries to remove base oil from crude. Finally, the blender combines the re-refined base oil with a fresh additive package.
So, why use re-refined oil? Here are a couple of reasons:
Ø New formulation that is API (American Petroleum Institute) certified means that re-refined oil is the same quality as virgin oil. Remember, oil does not wear out; it just gets dirty. The re-refining process cleans up the used oil and puts additives back in. The API certification also means that it will not void the warranty on your engine.
Ø Using re-refined oil is a smart and environmentally sound choice, and you are helping to close the recycling loop. Purchasing re-refined oil, which is competitively priced compared to virgin oil, is helping to protect the environment. Oil is a non-renewable resource, and re-refining oil is an energy efficient and environmentally beneficial method of managing used oil. Since oil does not break down, it can be re-refined over and over again without compromise.

If you would like more information, contact Christine LaRosa at (714) 667-2033 or via email at clarosa@ochca.com.