This message is being sent to notify you of changes pertaining to the California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) program. On March 6, 2024, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved a rulemaking package that was submitted by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 1, section 100. The changes reflected in the rulemaking were needed because of Assembly Bill 148 (Chapter 115, Statutes of 2021), which transferred the responsibility for the CalARP program from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to CalEPA. CalEPA amended and relocated portions of California Code of Regulations, title 19, division 2, chapters 4 and 4.5 into a new division 5. CalEPA has also revised cross-references and added and deleted definitions. These updates do not materially alter any requirement, right, responsibility, condition, prescription, or other regulatory element. All updates to Title 19 are effective as of March 6, 2024. Please visit our website for more information and to review documents related to this rulemaking. CalARP: https://calepa.ca.gov/california-accidental-release-prevention/calarp-program-updates/

The California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) program was implemented on January 1, 1997 and replaced the California Risk Management and Prevention Program (RMPP). The purpose of the CalARP program are to prevent accidental releases of substances that can cause serious harm to the public and the environment, to minimize the damage if releases do occur, and to satisfy community right-to-know laws. This is accomplished by requiring businesses that handle more than a threshold quantity of a regulated substance listed in the regulations to develop a Risk Management Plan (RMP). An RMP is a detailed engineering analysis of the potential accident factors present at a business and the mitigation measures that can be implemented to reduce this accident potential.

The RMP contains:

• Safety information
• A hazard review
• Operating procedures
• Training requirements
• Maintenance requirements
• Compliance audits
• Incident investigation procedures
• Hazardous material storage and/or use of open systems and closed systems

The CalARP program is implemented at the local government level by CUPA. The CalARP program is designed so these agencies work directly with the regulated businesses. The CUPA determines the level of detail in the RMPs, review the RMPs, conduct facility inspections, and provide public access to most of the information.