CUPA Self-Audit Program Summary

In an effort to reduce cost to Campus departments, EH&S has reached an agreement with Yolo County to establish an in-house CUPA audit system.

In 1995, the State of California enacted a law to combine regulatory oversight of a number of hazardous materials and hazardous waste programs in an effort to simplify compliance. Since that time, local and county agencies have prepared programs to meet this challenge. Yolo County Environmental Health has established a program and has the responsibility to inspect UC Davis' hazardous waste generators and hazardous material users as part of the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) program.

In an effort to reduce cost to Campus departments, EH&S has reached an agreement with Yolo County to establish an in-house CUPA audit system. This self-audit system is designed to help hazardous waste generators and hazardous material users understand their responsibilities and verify compliance. This will also allow the county to do spot-checks rather than visit every laboratory. Users can print and complete a CUPA Self-Audit Checklist (PDF) that includes the critical areas that will be the focus of a county inspection. If the regulations are not followed in your laboratories, you may be fined by Yolo County Environmental Health.

If your organization has above ground or underground storage tanks, or you accumulate used lead car batteries, used oil filters or other bulk wastes, contact cis@ucdavis.edu if you need assistance with your self-audit. Yolo County Environmental Health will follow up by performing random audits of all areas of the campus.

EH&S provides training on Hazardous Waste Management and Minimization to help educate the campus community about hazardous waste management responsibilities. The key elements of the CUPA program are included in this training.

Please contact cis@ucdavis.edu or Dan Orovich (530-752-3733), deorovich@ucdavis.edu, if you have any questions about the CUPA self-audit program.