County Strips Hazardous Materials Commission of Legislative Voice as New Tech Threats Loom
Hazardous Materials Commission • Contra Costa CountyMarch 5, 2026
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The Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Commission's Planning and Policy Committee met March 5 to map out an ambitious 2026 agenda — small modular nuclear reactors, bio-waste jet fuel, EV battery fires — only to discover the Board of Supervisors had quietly removed their ability to weigh in on state legislation. The collision between an expanding workload and shrinking authority defined the session.
- County bars commissions from commenting on legislation, forcing all advocacy through staff and a supervisors' legislative committee — commissioners demand explanation
- Small modular nuclear reactors added as top 2026 priority, with commissioners flagging a legal gap: nuclear waste isn't classified as hazardous waste
- Richmond startup Raven invited to present on converting green waste to jet fuel, replacing a costlier alternative, as Concord Airport faces renewable fuel mandates
- EV battery fire suppression technology flagged after Con Fire acquires new tools; committee may recommend countywide adoption
- Polluters-pay bills SB 684 and AB 1243 both dead — draft resolution rendered moot
The most heated exchange of the meeting had nothing to do with hazardous materials — and everything to do with the commission's power to address them.
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