§ 13.68. Requirement for certification of closure of hazardous material activities.

(a) The operator of a hazardous materials establishment and a professional, acceptable to the administering agency, such as an independent qualified engineer registered in California, a chemist with an appropriate degree in chemistry, or an environmental assessor registered to practice in California, shall submit to the administering agency closure documentation, including certification that the establishment has complied with section 13.67. The closure documentation shall include a narrative report with details of the method of sampling or testing that confirms removal of hazardous materials and residues, as well as clean-up procedures followed. The disposition of hazardous materials formerly stored at the establishment shall be stated in the closure report.

(b) The administering agency shall review all submissions and issue a certificate of closure if it is determined that all hazardous materials and significant hazardous material residues have been properly removed from an establishment. The administering agency shall notify, in writing, whomever submitted the closure documentation, if the submitted documents are inadequate to permit the issuance of a certificate of closure.

(c) The premises shall not be reoccupied until the certificate of closure is issued by the administering agency.

(d) If an operator of a hazardous materials establishment fails to comply with the closure requirements of sections 13.66, 13.67 or 13.68, the owner of the property on which the hazardous materials establishment is located will be responsible for complying with these closure requirements.

(Ord. No. 1160, Exh. A.)