(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this division or Section 175, and except as provided in subdivision (b), a person shall not be a member of the state board or a regional board if that person receives, or has received during the previous two years, a significant portion of his or her income directly or indirectly from any person subject to waste discharge requirements or applicants for waste discharge requirements pursuant to this chapter.
(b)
(1)A person shall not be disqualified from being a member of a regional board because that person receives, or has received during the previous two years, a significant portion of his or her income directly or
indirectly from a person subject to waste discharge requirements, or an applicant for waste discharge requirements, that are issued pursuant to this chapter by the state board or regional board other than the regional board of which that person is a member.
(2)
Paragraph (1) shall be implemented only if the United States Environmental Protection Agency either determines that no program approval is necessary for that implementation, or approves of a change in California’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program, to allow the state to administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program consistent with paragraph (1).