(a) The state board shall develop and establish a grant program that provides incentives for dry cleaners in the state that utilize perchloroethylene in their operations to transition to utilizing dry cleaning systems determined by the state board, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and any other entity the state board determines to be appropriate, to be nontoxic and nonsmog-forming.
(b) To be eligible for a grant pursuant to this section, applicants shall completely replace their perchlorethylene-based dry cleaning system with a system that the state board, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and any other entity the state board determines to be appropriate, has determined to be nontoxic and nonsmog-forming. The state board shall determine the eligibility of grant recipients.
(c) The state board shall make grants available in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to any eligible dry cleaning operation for the purchase of a professional dry cleaning system that uses a nontoxic and nonsmog-forming process, as determined by the state board, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and any other entity the state board determines to be appropriate.
(d) The state board shall ensure that at least 50 percent of the grant moneys provided pursuant to this section are awarded in a manner that directly reduces air contaminants or reduces the public health risk associated with air contaminants in communities with the most significant exposure to air contaminants or localized air contaminants, or both, including, but not limited to, communities of minority populations or low-income populations, or both.
(e) Commencing January 1, 2007, and every three years thereafter, the state board shall provide a report to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program.
(f) The state board shall establish a demonstration program to showcase professional nontoxic and nonsmog-forming dry cleaning technologies in the state. The demonstration program shall require 50 percent matching funds to cover the costs of the demonstration program. Any entity may contribute moneys as matching funds, including, but not limited to, a state or federal agency, an air pollution control district or air quality management district, a public utility district, or a nonprofit entity. Not more than 30 percent of the funds deposited annually in the Nontoxic Dry Cleaning Incentive Trust Fund may be used for the demonstration program.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 296, Sec. 164. (AB 1023) Effective January 1, 2012.)