(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the regulations found in Subpart H (commencing with Section 61.90) of, and in Subpart I (commencing with Section 61.100) of, Part 61 of Subchapter C of Chapter I of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations and Appendixes B, D, and E of Part 61 (commencing with Section 61.01) of Subchapter C of Chapter I of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations and Appendix A of Part 60 (commencing with Section 60.01) of Subchapter C of Chapter I of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations shall be deemed to be the regulations of the department for purposes of the regulation of radionuclide air emissions. Except for Sections 61.93 and 61.103 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, any reference to the Environmental Protection Agency, or any division thereof, in those regulations shall be deemed to be a reference to the department. The department may amend those regulations in whole or in part pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c).
(b) (1) The department shall evaluate any proposed amendment to the federal regulations specified in subdivision (b) of Section 115271 and in subdivision (a) of this section that becomes effective on or after January 1, 1997.
(2) The department shall publish a notice in the California Regulatory Notice Register indicating that the amendment has been adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency as a final rule. The notice shall include the citation to the Federal Register or the Code of Federal Regulations related to the amendment. The notice shall also include the department’s determination regarding whether the amendment is more stringent, equivalent to, or less stringent than, current state law or regulation.
(3) If the department determines that the amended federal regulation would be equivalent to, or more stringent than, state law or regulation, the amended federal regulation shall be deemed to be a regulation of the department on the date that is 90 days from the effective date of the amendment of the federal regulation or the publication of the notice required by paragraph (2), whichever date is later.
(c) In addition to the adoption of federal regulations as department regulations pursuant to this article, the department may adopt any other regulation that it determines to be necessary to establish, implement, and enforce a program for the regulation of radionuclide air emissions, consistent with the federal act.
(d) The department may charge each owner or operator of a facility emitting radionuclides into the air, which is subject to Section 61.90 or 61.100 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, an annual fee to pay the costs of implementing this article. The department shall deposit the fees in the Radiation Control Fund, for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the implementation of this article.
(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 752, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)