To ensure adequate protection of water quality and statewide uniformity in the siting, operation, and closure of waste disposal sites, except for sewage treatment plants or those sites which primarily contain fertilizer or radioactive material, the state board shall do all of the following:

(a) Classify wastes according to the risk of impairment to water quality, taking into account toxicity, persistence, degradability, solubility, and other biological, chemical, and physical properties of the wastes.

Terms Used In California Water Code 13172

  • Mining waste: means all solid, semisolid, and liquid waste materials from the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of ores and minerals. See California Water Code 13050
  • Regional board: means any California regional water quality control board for a region as specified in Section 13200. See California Water Code 13050
  • State board: means the State Water Resources Control Board. See California Water Code 13050
  • United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 20
  • Waste: includes sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solid, gaseous, or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing, or processing operation, including waste placed within containers of whatever nature prior to, and for purposes of, disposal. See California Water Code 13050

(b) Classify the types of disposal sites according to the level of protection provided for water quality, taking into account the geology, hydrology, topography, climatology, and other factors relating to ability of the site to protect water quality.

(c) Adopt standards and regulations to implement Sections 13226 and 13227.

(d) Adopt standards and regulations for hazardous waste disposal sites which apply and ensure compliance with all applicable groundwater protection and monitoring requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.), any federal act, enacted before or after January 1, 1989, which amends or supplements the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, any federal regulations adopted before or after January 1, 1989, pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, together with any more stringent requirements necessary to implement this division or Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 25208) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code.

(e) Adopt policies, standards, and regulations for discharges of mining waste which apply, and ensure compliance with, all surface water and groundwater protection and monitoring requirements of this division, Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 25208) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, and Subchapter IV (commencing with Section 6941) of Chapter 82 of Title 42 of the United States Code, which are applicable to discharges of mining waste. These policies, standards, and regulations shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) A statewide policy for monitoring surface water and groundwater that may be affected by discharges of mining waste. The policy shall establish the principles the regional boards shall use in developing monitoring plans for discharges of mining waste, including the methods the regional boards shall use in determining the location, number, and type of monitoring sites.

(2) Regulations requiring that waste discharge requirements issued for discharges of mining waste by regional boards include monitoring requirements consistent with the statewide policy adopted pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) Standards for reporting the results of surface water and groundwater monitoring to the regional board. The standards shall establish a reporting format that graphs monitoring data over an appropriate time period and compares the values found for each measured parameter against the standard for that parameter established in the waste discharge requirements.

(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 642, Sec. 3.)