See below for:

• Billing FAQs
• Permitting FAQs
• Permit Fees FY 2025-2026

Billing FAQs

How do I pay for my CUPA permit?

Payment can be made by check or credit card.

How much will my CUPA permit cost?

Your total CUPA permit cost depends on:

• Which program(s) your facility qualifies for, and
• The amount(s) of hazardous materials/waste on site. 

The invoice for your CUPA permit will contain three types of fees:

1. Base fee -- Applicable to all CUPA permits, for administrative overhead.
2. Program fee(s) -- For example, HMBP, APSA, UST, etc.
3. State surcharge(s) -- These funds get transferred to the State for their related oversight/operations.

Please see below for the permit fee schedule. These amounts were determined by the City, approved by the City Council, and conform to state requirements. CUPA permit fees are required to cover the "necessary and reasonable costs" of Unified Program operations.

Permitting

Do I need a CUPA permit for my facility?

You need a CUPA permit for your facility if you handle or store hazardous materials and/or hazardous waste on site above certain amounts. At the most basic level, your facility qualifies if it contains a hazardous material (or mixture with a hazardous material) at or above:

• 500 pounds of a solid
• 55 gallons of a liquid
• 200 cubic feet of a compressed gas

Certain chemicals qualify at lower thresholds – see our Hazardous Materials page for more information.

For next steps, please see “How do I get a CUPA permit for my facility?”

When in doubt, you can reach out to us at esfdcupa@elsegundo.org or call 310-524-2248.

---

How do I get a CUPA permit for my facility?

1. Create an account in CERS and submit your information

You must create an account and register your facility in the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS). The CERS platform will walk you through filling out a "submittal." After you submit all the necessary documentation, the ESFD CUPA will reach out to inspect the site and issue a CUPA permit.

You may also qualify for other program(s) depending on the amounts and conditions of hazardous materials at your facility. If your facility has multiple programs, you will still receive just one invoice and then one CUPA permit with the programs listed.

2. Pay for and receive a CUPA Permit

You must pay for and obtain a CUPA permit in order to operate legally with your HMBP materials on-site. You must pay for the permit fully in order to receive it. Permit fee amounts are set by the City while conforming with state regulations.

After we have received payment, we will mail and email a copy of the CUPA permit to your billing contact as listed in CERS. 

How do I renew my CUPA permit? 

First, make sure you resubmit in CERS between January 1 and March 1. This is mandated for the HMBP program, and it ensures that we have your latest information for permit renewal.

If your facility is still active in our records, we will automatically create and send an invoice to your CERS billing contact. Invoices are mailed and emailed annually in April/May. Once payment is received, we will mail and email your CUPA permit for your facility. The permit will be active for the following fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

What if the amount(s) of hazardous materials changes at my facility?

According to the CalEPA HMBP FAQ page: 

An HMBP is required to be updated within 30 days of any of the following changes:

• 100% Increase of a Previously Disclosed Hazardous Material: A 100 percent or more increase in the quantity of a previously disclosed material. 

• Previously Undisclosed Hazardous Material: Any handling of a previously undisclosed hazardous material subject to the inventory requirements of this article. 

• Change of Business Information: Change of business or facility address, changed of business ownership, or change of business name. 

• Substantial change in handler’s operation: A substantial change in the handler’s operations occurs that requires modification to any portion of the business plan.

“Substantial change” means any change in a facility that would inhibit immediate response during an emergency by either site personnel or emergency response personnel, change the operational knowledge of the facility, or impede implementation of the business plan.

You would update your HMBP by resubmitting in CERS. 

What if my business leaves the City, or the amount of hazardous materials drops below regulated quantities?

In order to close out your facility's CUPA account (and stop receiving invoices and inspection notices), you will need to report in CERS that your facility is no longer active/applicable for hazardous materials/waste regulation. You would submit an updated HMBP stating "No" on all Business Activity items. You may also need to have a final inspection completed by our staff.

Permit Fee Schedule 

Fiscal Year 2025-2026

Source: City of El Segundo Master Fee Schedule FY 25-26

Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA)

•  0-10,000 gallons: $1,843.00 per facility
• 10,001-1,000,000 gallons: $4,037.00 per facility
• 1,000,001 or more gallons: $8,178.00 per facility

California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP)

• Program 1: $4,629.00
• Program 2: $6,857.00
• Program 3: $13,220.00
• Program 4: $135,464.00

Hazardous Materials Business Program (HMBP)

• Range I: $1,688.00
• Range II: $1,826.00
• Range III: $2,200.00
• Range IV: $2,355.00
• Range V: $2,831.00

Ranges are proportionate to the total amount of reportable hazardous materials on site.

Hazardous Waste (HW)

• Hazardous Waste Generator
  • Very Small Quantity Generator: $1,551.00
  • Small Quantity Generator: $1,551.00
  • Large Quantity Generator: $2,877.00
  • RCRA Large Quantity Generator: $2,877.00
• Tiered Permitting
  • Permit By Rule: $4,675.00
  • Conditional Authorization: $3,406.00
  • Conditionally Exempt: $2,131.00

Underground Storage Tank (UST)

$3,785.00 plus $270.00 per additional tank

State Surcharges: Source: CalEPA

• Oversight/HMBP: $79.00 per facility
• HW: None
• APSA: $26.00 per facility
• UST: $20.00 per tank
• CalARP: $370.00 per regulated business
• Refinery Safety: Assessed to Refinery Facilities according to the daily barrel capacity (DBC)
  • $45,000 – Tier 1 (equal to or greater than 200,000 DBC)
  • $27,500 – Tier 2 (100,000 to 199,999 DBC)
  • $13,750 – Tier 3 (50,000 to 99,999 DBC)
  • $3,500 – Tier 4 (Less than 50,000 DBC)