Submitting a Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP)

Hazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBPs) must be filed electronically in the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) [1]. Create a username and password, then complete the required pages.

Documents You’ll Need to Upload in CERS

• Site Map(s) – Must include:
  • North orientation, loading areas, internal roads, adjacent streets
  • Storm drains, sewer drains, access/exit points
  • Emergency shutoffs, evacuation staging areas
  • Hazardous material handling and storage areas
  • Emergency response equipment

  Maps should be reasonably to scale and may be drawn by hand. Download template [2]. 

• Emergency Response Plan & Training Plan – A standard 4-page template is acceptable for most facilities (farms are typically exempt). The training plan is part of the Emergency Response Plan. In CERS, indicate that the training plan is “Provided Elsewhere in CERS.”
  Download Template [3]

Tips for Completing Your CERS Submittal

• Look for the gray bars: Each section has a thick gray bar with a green “Start” button. Click “Start” and complete each section.
• Business Activities Page:
  • If you store hazardous materials above threshold amounts → click “Yes” to the first question.
  • If you only store small amounts of hazardous waste (e.g., waste lacquer thinner in 5-gallon pails) and none above threshold → answer “No” to the first and “Yes” to the third question.
  • If you store above-threshold hazardous materials and generate hazardous waste → answer “Yes” to the first and third questions.
• Business Owner/Operator Page: Enter full contact info. Be sure to include an email in the “Environmental Contact” section – this is where CERS notifications will be sent.
• Chemical Inventory Page: Add hazardous materials and wastes (e.g., “used oil,” “carbon dioxide,” “gasoline,” “waste paint solids”).
  • If a chemical is not listed in the CERS library, click “Unable to find my chemical” and enter the details.
  • Common hazardous waste codes: 221 (used oil), 134 (waste antifreeze).

Final Steps

• After completing all pages, click the Submit button and follow the directions.
• Required documents (like Site Map and Emergency Response Plan) must be uploaded before submission is complete.

Need Help?

If you have questions or need assistance, contact:

Jill Kearney, Environmental Health Director
Phone: (760) 924-1847
Email: jkearney@mono.ca.gov [4]