Cal. Health & Safety Code § 101075 — Local Health Emergencies

As used in this article:

(a)  “Hazardous waste” means a waste, or combination of wastes, that because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may do any of the following:

(1)  Cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness.

(2)  Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.

(b)  “Waste” means either of the following:

(1)  Any material for which no use or reuse is intended and that is to be discarded.

(2)  Any material that spills, escapes, or is released from any manufacturing, industrial, commercial, or other plant, facility, or process, or that escapes or is released during the transporting or transferring from one place to another, or during the pumping, processing, storing, or packaging of any material in, to, or from such a plant, facility, or process, or that enters or may enter an uncontained air space or a surface water course that is not totally contained on the contiguous property of the plant, facility, or process, or which enters, or may enter, the groundwater underlying such plant, facility, or process.