The department, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Air Resources Board, and the California Waste Management Board, shall do all of the following:

(a)  Implement a program to research, develop, and demonstrate hazardous waste reduction, recycling, and treatment technologies at appropriate locations throughout the state.

(b)  On or before January 1, 1987, and, in consultation with industry and interested parties, adopt criteria for selecting projects which would receive grants to pay for the construction of equipment which would be used to demonstrate hazardous waste reduction, recycling, or treatment technologies. The criteria shall include provisions which require that, in assessing each project, the department consider the feasibility of the project’s particular technology, the research and technical spinoffs likely to be generated by the project, the degree to which the findings of the projects can be disseminated and evaluated for replication elsewhere, and the consistency of, and contributions of, the project to the state’s hazardous waste management program.

(c)  Using the criteria adopted pursuant to subdivision (b), select projects to receive grants to construct equipment which would be used to demonstrate hazardous waste reduction, recycling, or treatment technologies. A grant issued by the department pursuant to this section is not subject to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) of Part 2 of the Public Contract Code, including, but not limited to, Section 10295 of the Public Contract Code, or Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 4525) of Division 5 of Title 1 of the Government Code. The department shall select projects which also meet at least one of the following requirements:

(1)  The project has onsite, as well as offsite potential, for the reduction, recycling, or treatment of hazardous waste.

(2)  The project has the potential to benefit, or be utilized by, small businesses.

(3)  The project is applicable to a range of industries.

(Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 914, Sec. 3.)