Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA)

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The Unified Program is the consolidation of six state-regulated environmental programs into one program under the California Environmental Protection Agency. The six programs are:

  1. Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Program
  2. California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) Program
  3. Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Program
  4. Hazardous Materials Management and Inventory Program
  5. Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Waste Treatment Program
  6. Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program 

The goal of the Unified Program achieve consistency, consolidation and coordination in the regulation of these six programs through education, community and industry outreach, inspections and enforcement. 

A Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) is the agency responsible for the implementation and regulation of the Unified Program. The County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality, Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) has been the CUPA for San Diego County since 1996. 

All inspectors in the CUPA Program are trained Environmental Health Specialists (EHSs) who take part in a continuous education program to ensure consistency and uniformity during inspections. These inspections determine compliance with: