To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Introduce Amendment to the County’s Industrial Safety Ordinance
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
INTRODUCE Ordinance No. 2026-11, amending the County’s Industrial Safety Ordinance to authorize Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to enforce it, WAIVE reading and FIX June 23, 2026 as the date for adoption.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
On March 28, 2000, the Board adopted what is known today as the Industrial Safety Ordinance (Chapter 450-8) (“ISO”). This was driven by incidents in Contra Costa County at industrial chemical, petrochemical, and oil industry facilities that prompted the consideration of reviews, inspections, and audits that supplement existing federal and state safety programs and the imposition of additional safety measures to protect public health and safety from accidental releases. The Contra Costa County Department of Health (“CCH”) was given authority to implement and enforce the ISO which was done by the Hazardous Materials Programs (“HMP”). Over the last 26 years, the CCH Hazardous Materials Programs has staffed a dedicated team of engineers to implement and enforce the ISO.
To date, HMP has conducted audits of industrial facilities to ensure compliance with the ISO. The HMP also has overseen investigations and other 3rd party evaluations related to Major Chemical Accidents and Releases (MCAR). Most recently through the development of an Oversight Committee, HMP has overseen Community Risk Assessments, Incident Investigations, and Management Systems evaluations.
On June 24, 2025, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (the Board) approved the transition of the HMP from CCH to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (“the District”). HMP currently implements and enforces the ISO and has a dedicated group of engineers (one Supervising Accidental Release Prevention Engineer and seven Accidental Release Prevention Engineers) who are charged with this implementation and enforcement. Pursuant to the Board’s approval, these personnel will be transferred to the District, including the engineering group that currently implements and enforces the ISO. The proposed amendment to the ISO would allow the County to delegate authority to the District to implement and enforce the ISO.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Administration and enforcement of the County’s industrial safety ordinance will remain with CCH notwithstanding the Board of Supervisors’ prior approval to transition this program to the Fire Protection District.