The department, in consultation with the task force convened pursuant to Section 26101.7, shall develop and disseminate remediation guidelines for molds in indoor environments.
Toxic MoldGuidelines for Remediation
Section § 26130
This law requires the department to work with a task force to create guidelines for cleaning up mold inside buildings. They are responsible for developing and sharing these guidelines to address indoor mold issues.
mold remediation indoor environments guidelines development
Section § 26131
This section outlines how California's Department of Health should create guidelines for managing and removing mold. The guidelines aim to offer practical steps for getting rid of mold and stopping further damage in indoor spaces while prioritizing public health. However, they're designed to be achievable with current technology and economic resources.
These guidelines should be informed by scientific data and existing standards from recognized organizations. They also provide instructions for safely handling contaminated materials, including recommendations for personal protective equipment. Importantly, landlords and property owners aren't required to have special training or hire experts for mold cleanup. When developing these guidelines, the department needs to consider exposure limits, insights from experts, and practicalities. The law also specifies that landlords or public entities don't have to conduct tests to check mold levels.
Lastly, the department had to report its progress on these guidelines to the Legislature by July 1, 2003.
(a)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a) Remediation guidelines for mold developed by the department shall do all of the following:
(1)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(1) Provide practical guidance for the removal of mold and abatement of the underlying cause of mold and associated water intrusion and water damage in indoor environments.
(2)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(2) Protect the public’s health.
(3)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), balance the
protection of public health with technological and economic feasibility.
(4)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(4) Utilize and include toxicological reports, the latest scientific data, or existing standards for the remediation of molds adopted by authoritative bodies.
(5)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(5) Provide practical guidance for the removal or cleaning of contaminated materials in a manner that protects the health of the person performing the abatement.
(6)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(6) Include criteria for personal protective equipment.
(7)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(a)(7) Not require a landlord, owner, seller, or transferor, to be specially trained or certified or utilize the services of a specially qualified professional to conduct the mold remediation.
(b)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(b) The department shall consider all of the
following criteria when it develops remediation guidelines for mold:
(1)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(b)(1) Permissible exposure limits to molds developed by the department pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 26103, or what constitutes a health threat posed by the presence of mold, both visible and invisible or hidden, in an indoor environment, according to the department’s guidelines as developed pursuant to Section 26105.
(2)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(b)(2) Guidelines for mold remediation, if any, adopted by authoritative bodies.
(3)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(b)(3) Professional judgment and practicality.
(c)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(c) The department shall not require a commercial, industrial, or residential landlord, or a public entity that rents or leases a unit or building to conduct air or surface tests of units or buildings to determine whether the
presence of molds exceeds the permissible exposure limits to mold established by subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) of Section 26103.
(d)CA Health & Safety Code § 26131(d) The department shall report to the Legislature on its progress in developing remediation standards for mold by July 1, 2003.
mold remediation indoor environment public health protection
Section § 26132
This law requires the department to announce on its website when it starts creating guidelines for cleaning up mold. This announcement must include a short summary or list of technical documents that will be used in making these guidelines. People interested in contributing information about mold cleanup need to be told whom to contact, by when, and that their submissions will be publicly available if requested.
(a)CA Health & Safety Code § 26132(a) The department shall, at the time it commences preparation of remediation guidelines for mold, electronically post on its Internet Web site, a notice that informs interested persons that it has initiated work on the remediation standards.
(b)CA Health & Safety Code § 26132(b) The notice shall also include a brief description, or a bibliography, of the technical documents or other information the department has identified to date in the preparation of remediation guidelines for mold.
(c)CA Health & Safety Code § 26132(c) The notice shall inform persons who wish to submit information concerning mold remediation of the name and the address of the person in the office to whom the information may be sent, the date by which the information must be received in order for the department to consider it in the preparation of remediation standards, and that all information submitted will be made available to any member of the public who makes the request.
mold remediation guidelines technical documents public notice
Section § 26133
This law allows a department in California to look at and possibly use guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or other recognized organizations when creating national standards for cleaning up mold.
The department may review, and consider adopting by reference, any information prepared by, or on behalf of, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or other authoritative bodies, for the purpose of adopting national remediation standards for molds.
mold remediation national standards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Section § 26134
This section of the California Health and Safety Code requires the department to provide information to the public about safely removing mold. It includes guidelines for contracting companies for mold removal, existing legal standards related to mold exposure, and basic health information about mold. The department must review mold remediation guidelines every five years and update them as new data becomes available. Additionally, the department is responsible for creating educational materials to inform the public about mold health effects, prevention, and remediation. These materials should be accessible to various public health officials and organizations, comprehensible for the general public, available in multiple languages, and posted on the department’s website.
(a)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(a) The department shall make available to the public upon request, information about contracting for the removal of mold in a building or surrounding environment, including all of the following:
(1)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(a)(1) Recommended steps to take when contracting with a company to remove mold.
(2)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(a)(2) Existing laws, regulations, and guidelines developed by the department, pertaining to permissible exposure limits to mold infestation,
identification, and remediation.
(3)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(a)(3) Basic health information as contained in existing mold publications.
(b)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(b) All mold remediation guidelines published by the department shall be reviewed at least once every five years and revised, as necessary based upon the availability of new scientific data.
(c)Copy CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)
(1)Copy CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)(1) The State Department of Health Services shall develop public education materials and resources to inform the public about the health effects of molds, methods to prevent, identify and remediate mold growth, resources to obtain information about molds, and contact information for individuals, organizations, or government entities to assist with public concerns about molds.
(2)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)(2) The department shall make its public education
materials available to public health officers, environmental health officers, commercial and residential landlord organizations, homeowners’ organizations, and tenants’ organizations. These materials shall be readily available to the general public.
(3)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)(3) These materials shall be comprehensible to the general public.
(4)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)(4) These materials shall be produced to include other languages, in addition to English, to accommodate the diverse multicultural population of California.
(5)CA Health & Safety Code § 26134(c)(5) These materials shall be made available on the department’s Internet Web site.
mold removal public health education mold exposure limits
