(a) The department shall establish a Hazardous Waste Technology, Research, Development, and Demonstration Program, which shall consist of all of the following elements:
(1) Contracting with, and providing grants to, universities, governmental agencies, and private organizations for the research and development of hazardous waste reduction, recycling, or treatment technologies pursuant to Section 25244.10.
(2) Providing grants, under specified conditions, to cities, counties, and private organizations for the commercial demonstration of hazardous waste reduction, recycling, or treatment technologies pursuant to Section 25244.6.
(3) Providing grants to local governments for the development of local hazardous waste reduction programs which provide technical assistance, including hazardous waste audits, to generators pursuant to Section 25244.1101.
(b) (1) For purposes of this subdivision, “commercially successful technology” means a hazardous waste reduction, recycling, or treatment technology which is proven to be profitable, as determined by the department.
(2) The department shall require any university, governmental agency, or private organization which receives a grant pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) to agree to repay the department for the amount of the grant, if the grant results in the development of a commercially successful technology, and to additionally pay the department a percentage of any royalties derived from that technology, as negotiated between the department and the grant recipient.
(3) The department shall deposit any repayments or royalties received by the department pursuant to this subdivision in the Hazardous Waste Control Account, and those funds may be expended by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to carry out this article.
(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 412, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1994.)