Section 2511 - ExemptionsThe following activities shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
(a) Discharges of domestic sewage or treated effluent which are regulated by waste discharge requirements issued pursuant to Article 9 of this chapter, or for which waste discharge requirements have been waived, and which are consistent with applicable water quality objectives, and treatment or storage facilities associated with municipal wastewater treatment plants, provided that residual sludges or solid waste from wastewater treatment facilities shall be discharged only in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.(b) Discharges of wastewater to land, including but not limited to evaporation ponds, percolation ponds, or subsurface leachfields if the following conditions are met: (1) the applicable regional board has issued waste discharge requirements, reclamation requirements, or waived such issuance;(2) the discharge is in compliance with the applicable water quality control plan; and(3) the wastewater does not need to be managed according to Chapter 30 of Division 4 of Title 22 of this code as a hazardous waste.(c) Discharges of waste to wells by injection pursuant to the Underground Injection Control Program established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, (42 U.S. Code Section 300 [h], see Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 144 to 146, 40 CFR 144 to 146).(d) Actions taken by or at the direction of public agencies to cleanup or abate conditions of pollution or nuisance resulting from unintentional or unauthorized releases of waste or pollutants to the environment; provided that wastes, pollutants, or contaminated materials removed from the immediate place of release shall be discharged according to Article 2 of this chapter; and further provided that remedial actions intended to contain such wastes at the place of release shall implement applicable provisions of this chapter to the extent feasible.(e) Discharges of condensate from methane gas recovery operations at classified waste management units if the following conditions are met:(1) condensate shall have no chemical additives which could adversely affect containment features, and shall consist only of water and liquid contaminants removed from gas recovered at a waste management unit;(2) condensate shall be discharged to a different landfill waste management unit with a leachate collection and removal system operated under waste discharge requirements issued by the regional board, or returned to the waste management unit(s) from which it came; and(3) the discharger shall submit a report of waste discharge to the regional board pursuant to Article 9 of this chapter, and shall discharge condensate only in compliance with waste discharge requirements.(f) Use of nonhazardous decomposable waste as a soil amendment pursuant to applicable best management practices, provided that regional boards may issue waste discharge or reclamation requirements for such use.(g) Discharges of drilling mud and cuttings from well-drilling operations, provided that such discharges are to on-site sumps and do not contain halogenated solvents. At the end of drilling operations, the discharger shall either: (1) remove all wastes from the sump; or(2) remove all free liquid from the sump and cover residual solid and semi-solid wastes, provided that representative sampling of the sump contents after liquid removal shows residual solid wastes to be nonhazardous. If the sump has appropriate containment features, it may be reused.(h) Recycling or other use of materials salvaged from waste, or produced by waste treatment, such as scrap metal, compost, and recycled chemicals, provided that discharges of residual wastes from recycling or treatment operations to land shall be according to applicable provisions of this chapter.(i) Waste treatment in fully enclosed facilities, such as tanks, or in concrete-lined facilities of limited areal extent, such a oil-water separators designed, constructed, and operated according to American Petroleum Institute specifications.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 2511
1. Amendment of first paragraph and subsections (a), (b)(1)-(2), (c), (d), (e)(1)-(3), (g)(1) and (h), and amendment of NOTE filed 6-18-97; operative 7-18-97 (Register 97, No. 25). Note: Authority cited: Section 1058, Water Code. Reference: Sections 13142, 13260 and 13269, Water Code.
1. Amendment of first paragraph and subsections (a), (b)(1)-(2), (c), (d), (e)(1)-(3), (g)(1) and (h), and amendment of Note filed 6-18-97; operative 7-18-97 (Register 97, No. 25).