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Contra Costa supervisors approve transfer of hazardous-materials unit; commissioners and residents urge briefings and safeguards
Summary
The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move the Hazardous Materials Division from Contra Costa Health to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Confire). At the Hazardous Materials Commission meeting, staff said the effective date is not finalized and recommended more briefings; residents and commissioners pressed for safeguards to preserve public-health oversight.
Contra Costa County's Board of Supervisors has voted to transfer the county's Hazardous Materials Division from Contra Costa Health to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, a move that commission staff and community members say requires further explanation and safeguards.
Nicole Heath, director of hazardous materials programs, told the Hazardous Materials Commission that the board —did vote unanimously to transition the division over from the health department over to the fire department.— She said the board order considered an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026, but that date has not been finalized and a transition would likely take at least a year or more to complete.
Why it matters: The transfer shifts administrative oversight of hazardous-materials work into the fire district, prompting questions about continuity of…
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