The Joint Hearing of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee convened on August 20, 2025, to discuss critical issues surrounding the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and its ongoing reforms. The meeting aimed to assess the implementation of hazardous waste management policies and the effectiveness of the DTSC under its new leadership.

The session began with an acknowledgment of the DTSC's board chair, who is relatively new to the position. The chair expressed a keen interest in understanding the current state of the DTSC and the challenges it faces, particularly regarding the implementation of the hazardous waste management plan and the evaluation of hazardous waste fees. The chair emphasized the importance of fully realizing the reforms initiated under recent measures and indicated a desire for future briefings on specific issues that could not be addressed during the meeting.

Following this introduction, the panelists were invited to share their insights. The first speaker, the director of DTSC, highlighted the organization's progress since the reforms were enacted. Drawing on a public health background, the director emphasized the need for collaboration among stakeholders to tackle significant environmental challenges. The director outlined three guiding pillars for the department's operations, signaling a strategic approach to addressing the pressing issues at hand.

The discussions underscored the urgency of the environmental challenges facing California and the necessity for a unified effort to ensure effective management of hazardous waste. The meeting concluded with a commitment to ongoing dialogue and future discussions to further explore the complexities of the DTSC's responsibilities and the implementation of its policies.