(a)
The Department of Toxic Substances Control may require a person submitting a report or data to submit the report or data in an electronic format, if the report is submitted to either of the following:
(1)
The Department of Toxic Substances Control.
(2)
A unified program agency implementing the unified program specified in Chapter 6.11 (commencing with Section 25404) of Division 20.
(b)
The Department of Toxic Substances Control may require that a report or data submitted in electronic format include the latitude and longitude, which shall be accurate to within at least one meter, of the location where a sample analyzed in the report or data was collected.
(c)
The Department of Toxic Substances Control shall adopt standards, that include electronic formats, for the submission of reports, which shall include formats for the submission of analytical and environmental compliance data. When adopting these standards, the Department of Toxic Substances Control shall only consider electronic formats that meet all of the following criteria:
(1)
Are available at no cost.
(2)
Are available in the public domain.
(3)
Have available public domain means to import, manipulate, and store data.
(4)
Allow importation of data into tables that indicate relational distances.
(5)
Allow verification of data submission consistency.
(6)
Allow inclusion of all of the following information:
(A)
The physical site address from which the sample was taken, and information required for permitting and reporting an unauthorized release.
(B)
Environmental assessment data taken during the initial site investigation phase, as well as the continuing monitoring and evaluation phases.
(C)
The latitude and longitude, which shall be accurate to within at least one meter, of the location where a sample was collected.
(D)
A description of all tests performed on the sample, the results of the testing, quality assurance and quality control information, available narrative information regarding the collection of the sample, and available information concerning the laboratory’s analysis of the sample.
(7)
Fulfill any additional criteria that the Department of Toxic Substances Control determines are appropriate for an effective electronic report submission program.
(d)
In adopting standards pursuant to this section, the Department of Toxic Substances Control shall ensure the security of electronically submitted information.
(e)
(1) The regulations adopted by the Department of Toxic Substances Control pursuant to this section may be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. For the purposes of that chapter, including Section 11349.6 of the Government Code, the adoption of these regulations is an emergency and shall be considered by the Office of Administrative Law as an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general welfare.
(2)
Notwithstanding the time limitation in subdivision (e) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, an emergency regulation adopted or amended pursuant to this section shall not be repealed until one year after the effective date of the regulation, unless the Department of Toxic Substances Control readopts the regulation, in whole or in part, in compliance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(3)
Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, until the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to this section, the Department of Toxic Substances Control may implement this section using the following regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board or the Secretary for Environmental Protection for the electronic submission of reports:
(A)
Chapter 30 (commencing with Section 3900) of Division 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B)
Subdivision 4 (commencing with Section 15100) of Division 1 of Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations.
(C)
Subdivision 2 of Division 3 of Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations.