Board directs transfer of county hazardous-materials program to Contra Costa Fire to unify prevention and response

The Board of Supervisors on June 24 voted unanimously to move forward with a plan to transfer the county'operated hazardous materials (HazMat) program and Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) duties to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire). The motion directs staff to pursue the steps necessary to complete the transfer and return with a timeline and the legal, human-resources and regulatory steps needed to effect a successful transition.

Why it matters: County officials said combining the county'HazMat regulatory programs with Con Fire's emergency-response capability will reduce duplication, improve incident intelligence sharing, streamline public communications during incidents, and place prevention-focused engineers and inspectors within a single organizational structure responsible for both regulation and emergency response.

What the board decided: After a joint presentation by Con Fire Chief Louis Brochard and Contra Costa Health Director/Health Officer Ori Savelli, the board voted to direct staff to move forward with the transfer. The motion passed unanimously.

Key points from the presentation and public record: - The county's HazMat program (CUPA) currently administers multiple regulatory programs (hazardous waste, underground storage tanks, California Accidental Release Prevention/CalARP, and the county's Industrial Safety Ordinance). County staff said all CUPA functions would be maintained under Con Fire. - The county's Integrated Pest Management program would transfer to the Agricultural Commissioner, not to Con Fire. - Staff emphasized there would be no immediate change in field operations or the public'facing ombudsman; current office locations in Pacheco would remain and staff would transition into the district payroll and pension systems. - The board required a clear implementation plan including new job classifications, personnel transitions, updated agreements with state regulators (CalEPA/CUPA), updates to the Industrial Safety Ordinance administration, and written procedures for joint incident communications involving the health officer. - The board asked staff to return with a detailed timeline and to target an implementation date after the budget cycle; staff said an effective date of January 1, 2026 was possible but flexible and that a July 1, 2026 effective date would be reasonable if more time is required to accomplish personnel and regulatory approvals.

Public comment: Nonprofit and labor speakers supported the consolidation. Local HazMat responders and Con Fire labor representatives described the transfer as a pragmatic way to unify prevention and response.

Next steps requested by the board: Con Fire and county staff were directed to draft and return with: (1) a detailed implementation checklist and timeline, (2) written protocols governing incident notification and public health advisories (so the health officer and Con Fire have a single incident operating picture), (3) identification of any required state approvals for CUPA transfer, (4) HR steps for employee transition and clarification on benefits and classifications, and (5) a budget and cost-recovery plan showing how permit fees and CUPA revenue will be handled post-transfer.

Ending note: Supervisors said the move is intended to create a single, unified HazMat and safety organization that combines regulatory, prevention and emergency-response responsibilities into 1 team to improve operational effectiveness and public messaging during incidents.