RCRC is co-sponsoring Assembly Bill 993, authored by Assembly Member Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas) with the California Association of Environmental Health Administrators (on behalf of the CUPA Forum). This measure would expand eligibility for CalEPA’s Rural Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) Reimbursement program and increase the maximum annual award to account for inflation.
CUPAs oversee hazardous materials business plans, underground storage tanks, aboveground storage tanks, accidental release prevention programs, hazardous waste management, and hazardous waste tiered permitting programs. As such, CUPAs protect first responders and communities from accidental releases or spills of hazardous materials and wastes.
The Rural CUPA Reimbursement Program reimburses small counties with a population under 150,000 up to $60,000 annually to cover CUPA program implementation costs. Eligibility is limited to those 13 rural counties whose CUPAs were certified after January 1, 2000 (Calaveras, Colusa, Glenn, Inyo, Lassen, Mariposa, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba Counties) and the $60,000 cap has not been increased since the program was established in 2001.
AB 993 seeks to increase the Rural CUPA Reimbursement Program cap to $100,000, which roughly adjusts the cap for inflation. Recognizing the crucial need for program implementation funding across all small counties, AB 993 also expands eligibility to the remaining 12 small counties whose CUPAs were certified before January 1, 2000 (Alpine, Amador, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Mono, Napa, Nevada, San Benito, Siskiyou, and Tuolumne Counties).
RCRC and CAEHA appreciate Assembly Member Hadwick’s efforts to increase local CUPA capacity to respond to wildfires and other hazardous material emergencies, ensure first responders are aware of the dangerous chemicals and substances stored in the buildings throughout the communities they protect, and help prevent underground and aboveground storage tank leaks that may contaminate land and drinking water supplies.
RCRC and CAEHA are similarly committed to securing additional funding for the Rural CUPA Reimbursement Program to accommodate these changes.
The RCRC/CAEHA Co-Sponsor letter can be found here.
RCRC is asking for support letters from our counties to help bolster our advocacy efforts. Counties with fewer than 150,000 residents can use the template support letter found here.
For questions or additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, John Kennedy, or CAEHA’s Executive Director, Amanda Bloom.