(a) Any public employee, as defined in Section 811.4 of the Government Code, whose responsibilities include matters relating to health and safety, protection of the environment, or the use or transportation of any pesticide and who knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that a pesticide has been spilled or otherwise accidentally released, shall promptly notify the local health officer or the notification point specified in the local hazardous materials response plan, where the plan has been approved by the Office of Emergency Services and is in operation. The operator of the notification point shall immediately notify the local health officer of the pesticide spill report.

(b) The local health officer shall immediately notify the county agricultural commissioner and, at his or her discretion, shall immediately notify the Director of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of each report received. Within seven days after receipt of any report, the local health officer shall notify the Director of Pesticide Regulation, the Director of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the Director of Industrial Relations, on a form prescribed by the Director of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, of each case reported to him or her pursuant to this section.

(c) The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall designate a telephone number or numbers for use by local health officers in the immediate notification of the office of a pesticide spill report. The office shall from time to time establish criteria for use by the local health officers in determining whether the circumstances of a pesticide spill warrants the immediate notification of the office.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 385. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)