Transfer of Unified Program Responsibilities for the City of Milpitas
 |
 |
|
City of Milpitas 455 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035 |
County of Santa Clara 1555 Berger Drive, Suite 300, San Jose, California 95112 |
Effective July 1, 2018, the City of Milpitas Fire Department (City) will cease to be responsible for implementing the State’s Unified Program as a Participating Agency. The County Department of Environmental Health, Hazardous Materials Program (County) remains the Certified Unified Program Agency and will assume responsibility for implementing all elements of the Unified Program as of the effective date. The Unified Program consists of the following six programs:
- Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP)
- Underground Storage Tank (UST)
- Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA)
- Hazardous Waste Generator
- Onsite Hazardous Waste Treatment (Tiered Permitting)
- California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP)
The City and County are working together to ensure that the transition and ongoing coordination is as smooth as possible. Please expect the following as of July 1, 2018:
Billing and Permitting
-
The County will continue issuing Unified Program permits and collecting associated permit fees on the established cycle. HMBP, UST, and APSA program permits will start being billed in accordance with the County’s fee schedule, which is posted online at www.EHInfo.org. County invoices will no longer include fees for City permits.
-
The City will continue issuing local Fire Code permits and will begin collecting local permit fees independent of the County’s billing process. City invoices may be related to hazardous materials facilities but will not cover Unified Program implementation costs. Permits will be charged in accordance with the City Fire Department’s fee schedule, which is posted online at Milpitas Fee Schedule.
Compliance Inspections
-
County inspectors will continue conducting compliance inspections in the Hazardous Waste, Tiered Permitting, and CalARP programs, and will begin conducting inspections in the HMBP, UST and APSA programs. In many cases, a consolidated Unified Program inspection will be performed in a single visit by a County inspector.
-
City Fire Department inspectors will continue conducting hazardous materials and life safety compliance inspections required under the local Fire Code.
-
For UST Facilities:
-
UST facilities require an annual inspection from both the City and County. The City and County will make every effort to coordinate regarding inspections and testing. In the event that a joint inspection cannot be coordinated, separate inspections may be necessary.
-
Please direct UST testing notifications to both the City and the County. Notifications and test report for the County may be sent to [email protected].
Plan Review
-
Plans to install, modify, or close hazardous materials storage systems and facilities will continue to be reviewed by City staff to ensure that they meet Building and Fire Code requirements.
-
Continue to submit an additional set of plans to the County for the closure of Tiered Permitting facilities.
-
For UST facilities:
-
Plans shall be submitted to both the City and County for installation, modification, and closure projects. County staff will begin reviewing plans for compliance with Unified Program Requirements (i.e., Title 23 California Code of Regulations and CA Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.7). City staff will continue reviewing plans for compliance with Building and Fire Code requirements.
-
For installation and modification projects, approval must be granted by the County before the City will issue a permit.
-
For closure projects, approval must be granted by the City before the County will issue a permit.
-
City and County staff will continue to coordinate when both entities are responsible for reviewing a single project.
Inquiries and Assistance
-
For issues related to Building and Fire Code compliance, contact the City of Milpitas Fire Department at
(408) 586-3365. -
For issues related to Unified Program compliance, contact the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, Hazardous Materials Program at (408) 918-3400. Ask to speak with the Hazardous Materials Duty Officer.
Please take steps now to notify your compliance personnel and contractors of this transition and the changes that will take effect on July 1, 2018. This page will be updated, as necessary, to address frequently asked questions.
Documents: