Locunity/Contra Costa County, CA
Mission To protect and promote the health, safety, and well-being of Contra Costa residents as they are affected by hazardous materials and hazardous waste. To provide and promote a forum for building consensus on environmental issues affecting Contra Costa residents related to hazardous materials and hazardous waste. To provide recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the Board's respective Committees and Commissions regarding policies concerning the storage, use, and management of hazardous materials and hazardous waste as they affect health, safety, and the environment, including land-use planning and economic effects. History The Hazardous Materials Commission was established in 1983 by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. Its charge is to develop policy recommendations for hazardous materials and wastes and advise the Board, local elected officials, and county and city staff. Meetings Public meeting documents related to the Hazardous Materials Commission can be found at Contra Costa County’s Public Meetings website. All meetings are open to the public. For information please call Adam Springer at 925-655-3200 or email adam.springer@cchealth.org. Membership and Bylaws County Board and Commissions Details Committees The Operations Committee oversees the Commission's organizational business, provides guidance to county department programs and management, and addresses public education and communication issues. The Planning and Policy Development Committee provides technical assistance on the update of the land use ordinance and other long-term policy and planning issues.
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Recent updates from Governing Board
A commissioner reported that Contra Costa Water District is seeking liability exemptions for PFAS-contaminated granulated activated carbon disposed in landfills.
Why it matters: This is a new PFAS contamination pathway not previously on the commission's radar, potentially affecting local landfill sites.
The commission flagged SB 966, which would codify PSM employee participation in state law, and discussed emerging battery safety legislation in San Francisco.
Why it matters: SB 966 serves as a legislative backup if Cal/OSHA fails to adopt process safety management rules, directly protecting refinery workers in Contra Costa's industrial corridor.
The hazardous materials program will transfer to the fire department on July 1, merging response teams and upgrading from 8-to-5 to around-the-clock coverage.
Why it matters: Contra Costa's industrial corridor residents will gain faster hazmat emergency response through fire department integration, replacing a system that relied on after-hours on-call staffing.
Both committees flagged chronic commissioner absences threatening quorum; Planning and Policy will dedicate its next meeting to bylaw review to address the problem.
Why it matters: The commission repeatedly fails to achieve quorum for committee meetings, stalling policy work; current bylaws only allow vacancy declarations in a member's final term year.
Operations Committee approved sending a letter to reserve the IBEW hall for a September 17 public forum, though budget transfer to the fire department complicates the $250 fee.
Why it matters: The hazardous materials program's July 1 transfer to the fire department creates uncertainty about which budget can fund even minor commission expenses.
Food and Water Watch and Pipeline Safety Trust detailed safety, ecological, and regulatory gaps in a proposed 45-mile underwater CO2 pipeline through the SF Bay Delta.
Why it matters: The project would run through waters adjacent to over 150,000 residents with no finalized federal or state CO2 pipeline safety regulations, and five additional Delta projects are in active permitting.
Two commissioners reported on SB 954, a bill to restore CEQA protections for advanced manufacturing that were broadly exempted under SB 131 last year.
Why it matters: With the Green Empowerment Zone expected to attract heavy industry along the Carquinez Straits, weakened environmental review could expose communities to toxic releases without prior assessment.
The OPS Committee identified key processes requiring formal documentation — including forum planning, intern selection, seat interviews, and onboarding — after staff turnover caused knowledge gaps.
Why it matters: The hazardous materials program's transfer between county departments has erased institutional memory; written procedures will preserve operational continuity.
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Experts Sound Alarm on Unregulated CO2 Pipeline Through the Bay Delta The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission devoted the bulk of its April 27 meeting to a stark warning: a proposed 45-mile underwater car...
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Hazmat Commission Eyes Battery Fire Ban, CEQA Fix as Forum Planning Ramps Up Contra Costa County's Hazardous Materials Commission Operations Committee used a sprawling work session to map its policy agenda for the month...
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Vape Pens, Battery Fires and a Year of Empty Seats The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission's Planning and Policy Committee tackled the surprisingly tangled world of vape pen disposal and state hazardous w...
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Pipeline Deregulation, Nuclear Waste Fears Dominate HazMat Commission Agenda The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission achieved a rare strong quorum and used it to dig into a trio of emerging threats — fede...
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PFAS, Pipeline Dangers, and Missing Commissioners Define Hazmat Meeting The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission's Operations Committee met March 13 with just four of its members present — the bare minimum...
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County Strips Hazardous Materials Commission of Legislative Voice as New Tech Threats Loom The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission's Planning and Policy Committee met March 5 to map out an ambitious 2026...
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