(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) âAgencyâ means the California Environmental Protection Agency. (2) âContaminantâ means all of the following: (A) A substance listed in Tables II and III of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 66261.24 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. (B) The five halogenated hydrocarbon industrial solvents that, in the experience of the State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control are most commonly found as contaminants at sites subject to remediation under the Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substances Account Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 78000) of Division 45) and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code). (C) Ten hazardous substances not included under subparagraphs (A) and (B) that, in the experience of the Department of Toxic Substances Control and the State Water Resources Control Board, are most commonly found as contaminants at sites subject to remediation under the Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substances Account Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 78000) of Division 45) and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code). (3) âScreening numberâ means the concentration of a contaminant published by the agency as an advisory number pursuant to the process established in subdivisions (b) and (c). A screening number is solely an advisory number, and has no regulatory effect, and is published solely as a reference value that may be used by citizen groups, community organizations, property owners, developers, and local government officials to estimate the degree of effort that may be necessary to remediate a contaminated property. A screening number may not be construed as, and may not serve as, a level that can be used to require an agency to determine that no further action is required or a substitute for the cleanup level that is required to be achieved for a contaminant on a contaminated property. The public agency with jurisdiction over the remediation of a contaminated site shall establish the cleanup level for a contaminant pursuant to the requirements and the procedures of the applicable laws and regulations that govern the remediation of that contaminated property and the cleanup level may be higher or lower than a published screening number. (b) (1) During the same period when the agency is carrying out the pilot study required by Section 57009 and preparing the informational document required by Section 57010, the agency shall initiate a scientific peer review of the screening levels published in Appendix 1 of Volume 2 of the technical report published by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board entitled âApplication of Risk-Based Screening Levels and Decision-Making to Sites with Impacted Soil and Groundwater (Interim Final-August 2000).â The agency shall conduct the scientific peer review process in accordance with Section 57004, and shall limit the review to those substances specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). The agency shall complete the peer review process on or before December 31, 2004. (2) The agency, in cooperation with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, shall publish a list of screening numbers for contaminants listed in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) for the protection of human health and safety, and shall report on the feasibility of establishing screening numbers to protect water quality and ecological resources. The agency shall determine the screening numbers using the evaluation set forth in Article 13 (commencing with Section 79260) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 45 and the results of the peer review, and shall use the most stringent hazard criterion establis
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