(a) (1) The department may provide pollution prevention training and resources to CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs so that they can provide technical assistance to businesses in identifying and applying methods of pollution prevention.

(2) The activities conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall emphasize activities necessary to implement Sections 25244.17 and 25244.17.1.

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(b) As part of implementing the program authorized by this section, the department may develop a California Green Business Program that provides support and assistance to programs operated by local governments to meet the requirement of subdivision (c) and that would voluntarily certify small businesses that adopt environmentally preferable business practices, including, but not limited to, increased energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, promotion of water conservation, and reduced waste generation. The department’s California Green Business Program may do any or all of the following:

(1) Assist the network of statewide local government programs in implementing guidelines and structures that establish and promote a level of consistency among green business programs across the state.

(2) Support, through staffing and contracts, the development and maintenance of a statewide database to register small businesses granted green business certification, or its equivalent, pursuant to a local government program, and track measurable pollution reductions and cost savings.

(3) Solicit participation of additional local programs and facilitate the startup of new local programs.

(4) Develop technical guidance on pollution prevention measures, conduct industry studies and pilot projects, and provide policy coordination for the participating local programs.

(5) Collaborate with relevant state agencies that operate small business efficiency and economic development programs, including, but not limited to, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, the Public Utilities Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the State Air Resources Board, and the Department of Water Resources.

(c) The department may provide support and assistance to a local government program to enable the program to meet all of the following requirements:

(1) The program will be operated by a local government or its designee.

(2) The program will adopt industry-specific standards for green business certification, or its equivalent, in consultation with the other participants in the California Green Business Program.

(3) The program will grant a small business that voluntarily applies to the program a green business certification or its equivalent, only upon a determination by the program operator or designee that the business is a small business, as determined by the program, and complies with the industry-specific standards for green business certification adopted pursuant to paragraph (2).

(4) The program will grant a green business certification, or its equivalent, to small businesses, as determined by the program, in accordance with all of the following requirements:

(A) Before the program grants green business certification or its equivalent, the program conducts an evaluation to verify compliance with the appropriate green business certification standards adopted pursuant to paragraph (2).

(B) A green business certification or its equivalent is granted only to an individual location of a small business.

(C) A green business certification or its equivalent is granted to an individual small business only for a limited time period, and, after the elapse of that time period, the small business is required to reapply for that certification.

(D) Compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations is required as a condition of receiving a green business certification or its equivalent.

(d) The department may determine, in consultation with the advisory committee, the most effective methods to promote implementation of pollution prevention education programs by CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs. Program elements may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Sponsoring workshops, conferences, technology fairs, and other training events.

(2) Sponsoring regional training groups, such as the regional hazardous waste reduction committees.

(3) Developing and distributing educational materials, such as short descriptions of successful pollution prevention projects and materials explaining how pollution prevention has been used by businesses to achieve compliance with environmental laws enforced by local governments.

(4) Developing site review checklists, training manuals, and technical resource manuals and using those resources to train CUPAs, small business development corporations, business environmental assistance centers, and other regional and local government environmental programs.

(5) Preparing and distributing resource lists such as lists of vendors, consultants, or providers of financial assistance for pollution prevention projects.

(6) Serving as an information clearinghouse to support telephone and onsite consultants with local governments.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 39, Sec. 51. (SB 1018) Effective June 27, 2012.)