California Toxic Substances Oversight, Higher Fees Bill Passed

California legislators on Monday passed a bill to revamp the state’s troubled Department of Toxic Substances Control to increase transparency, install an oversight board, and more than triple fees for certain large polluters.

The bill, S.B. 158, would restore fiscal control to the agency, enforce the belief that polluters should pay for incurred costs, and fund needed remediation work, Erika Li, state department of finance chief deputy for budget, said during a budget hearing earlier Monday.

The bill would create a five-member board to review priorities, set long-term goals, analyze fee structures, and conduct hearings about hazardous waste facility ...