Bill > SB811

This bill establishes a comprehensive, industry-specific regulatory framework for metal shredding facilities—industrial sites that use heavy machinery like hammer mills to process scrap metal, end-of-life vehicles, and appliances—shifting their oversight away from traditional hazardous waste laws administered by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) into a dedicated statutory scheme. Under this new framework, existing and new metal shredding facilities are prohibited from operating without a 10-year permit issued by the DTSC, a process that requires applicants to submit detailed operational plans, conduct preliminary endangerment assessments, maintain financial assurances for closure and third-party liability, and hold pre-application and public comment meetings with nearby communities. The legislation outlines strict operational standards, including inbound source control protocols to prevent the shredding of hazardous materials like batteries and PCBs, daily housekeeping and enclosure requirements to contain "light fibrous material" (a lightweight, easily dispersible residue from shredded vehicles and items), and specific procedures for treating metal shredder residue with silicate and cement before it can be disposed of in authorized municipal solid waste landfills. Additionally, the bill mandates annual compliance evaluation inspections by the DTSC, establishes facilitywide fence-line air quality and hazardous waste monitoring requirements in coordination with local air districts and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), creates a new Metal Shredding Facility Subaccount to fund regulatory oversight through annual industry fees, and repeals older auto shredder waste policies in favor of clear, enforceable statewide standards that apply uniformly to all charter and general law cities.