Hazardous Materials Business Plan Program
What is the Hazardous Material Business Plan?
Hazardous materials are defined as items which, because of their quantity, concentration, or physical and/or chemical characteristics, pose a hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released or any material specified in a local ordinance code. A Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) provides the Ventura County Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), local fire agencies, and the public with information on hazardous materials at businesses and most government facilities.
A “hazardous material” includes any substance which:
- require a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) (California Labor Code, Section 6360); or,
- a substance listed pursuant to Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations; or,
- a substance listed in Section 339 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations; or,
- are listed as a radioactive material (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Appendix B); or,
- are a hazardous waste (California Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.5).
The law requires businesses that store, use, or handle hazardous materials at or above specified threshold amounts to provide the CUPA with a HMBP. The CUPA provides HMBP data to emergency response agencies, including local fire departments. These agencies use the information during hazardous materials emergency responses.
The CUPA is responsible for HMBP program compliance throughout Ventura County, except for the City of Oxnard and the City of Ventura. The law requires that the HMBP, records of employee training, and updated site maps be available for review as part of the inspection. The CUPA conducts routine HMBP inspections to:
- Ensure compliance with HMBP laws, regulations, and local policies
- Provide guidance on preventing or minimizing the risk of hazardous materials spills or releases.
- Verify hazardous materials inventories, Emergency Response/Contingency Plans, Site Maps, and Training.
Submit Your HMBP in the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS)
Facilities must submit a HMBP to the CUPA electronically through the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) within 30 days of bringing hazardous materials onsite that are at or above threshold. Also, a new and/or amended HMBP is required to be submitted to CERS within 30 days if, at any time during the reporting year, any of the following occur:
- 100 percent or more increase of a previously disclosed material
- Any undisclosed material(s)
- Change of facility address, ownership, or name
- Any significant change: any change in a regulated facility that would inhibit immediate response during an emergency by either site personnel or emergency response personnel or that could inhibit the handler’s ability to comply with the HSC, Section 25507, change the operation knowledge of the facility, or impede implementation of the business plan.
The HMBP is required to be reviewed and submitted to CERS annually to ensure the plan is complete, accurate, and up to date.
CUPA has developed several handouts to assist you in submitting a complete and accurate HMBP to CERS:
- HMBP Frequently Asked Questions
- Hazardous Materials Reporting Chart
- Site Map Guidance
- Emergency Response/Contingency Plan
- HMBP Unstaffed Remote Facility Exemption Request Form
- Liquefied Gas Conversion Chart
- Lead Acid Battery Reporting Guidance
- Common Hazardous Chemicals
- Guidance on Irritants and Sensitizers
- Guidance on Hazard Classification of Gases
- Chemical Incompatibility Storage
- Reporting Below Threshold
- Mixtures Guidance
HMBP Laws and Regulations
- California Health and Safety Code, Chapter 6.95
- California Code of Regulations Title 19
- Per the federal Community-Right-to-Know laws, the general public can obtain the hazardous materials inventory for any HMBP facility by filing a Records Search Request Form.
More Helpful Documents and Links
- Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
- HMBP Guidance Documents and Publications
- HMBP Agricultural Operations Fact Sheet – Information on Hazardous Materials Business Plan for agricultural operations (English/Spanish).
- Paint Care Product List
- Other Regulatory Links
Contact Us
Ventura County CUPA Contacts
For specific questions about your permitted facility, please contact your Area Inspector.
Matthew Madison
Program Specialist
Matthew.Madison@ventura.org
(805) 662-6511
Other Regulatory Contacts
Oxnard CUPA
cupa@oxnard.org
(805) 385-7722
Ventura PA
Brett Reed
BReed@cityofventura.ca.gov
(805) 320-8337
