(a)  An appeal board convened by the Governor or the Governor’s designee to hear an appeal pursuant to subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 25199.9 shall follow the procedures and requirements specified in this section.

(b)  Within 30 days after the Governor or the Governor’s designee determines that an appeal board should be convened pursuant to subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 25199.9, an appeal board shall be convened and a public hearing held in the city or county where the specified hazardous waste facility project is located. At the hearing, the proponent or the interested party and the local agency whose land use decision is being appealed shall present arguments and evidence to the appeal board concerning whether or not the appeal should be accepted.

The arguments and evidence presented to the appeal board convened pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 25199.9 shall only concern whether or not a condition or conditions imposed on the operation of the facility by the land use decision are so onerous and restrictive that their imposition is the same as a disapproval of the application for a land use decision. The arguments and evidence presented to the appeal board convened pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 25199.9 shall only concern whether or not a condition or conditions imposed on the project by the land use decision do not adequately protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

(c)  Within 15 days after the date of the public hearing, the appeal board shall decide whether or not to accept the appeal. The appeal board may accept an appeal only by an affirmative vote of five members of the appeal board. The appeal board shall make its decision based upon the arguments and evidence presented at the hearing. The appeal board’s decision shall be in writing, shall be signed by the members who voted in favor of the decision, and shall state the reasons for accepting or rejecting the appeal. The appeal board may not accept the appeal unless it finds that the proponent or interested party has demonstrated a substantial likelihood of prevailing on the merits if the appeal is accepted for hearing.

(d)  If the appeal board accepts the appeal, within 30 days after this decision, the appeal board shall hold a public hearing in the city or county where the specified hazardous waste facility project is located to hear the arguments and evidence it requires to make a decision on the appeal. The appeal board shall restrict the scope of the hearing to those matters which the appeal board determines are directly related to the subject matter of the appeal. In making a decision pursuant to the hearing, the appeal board shall adopt a rebuttable presumption that the local agency’s land use decision is supported by substantial reasons and that there are no compelling reasons to modify it. In all matters related to the appeal, the burden of proof shall be with the proponent or the interested party to rebut this presumption and to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that there are compelling reasons to modify the local agency’s land use decision.

(e)  Within 30 days after the public hearing, the appeal board shall, by an affirmative vote of at least five members, issue a decision on the appeal. The decision shall be written, shall be signed by the members in favor of the decision, and shall include the reasons for the decision.

(f)  If the appeal board is convened by the Governor or the Governor’s designee pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 25199.9, the appeal board shall not issue a decision modifying the local agency land use decision, unless the appeal board finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that one or more conditions imposed on the facility by the land use decision are so onerous and restrictive that their imposition is the same as a disapproval of the application for a land use decision. If the appeal board agrees with the proponent concerning these conditions, the appeal board shall require the local agency to modify the condition or conditions imposed by the land use decision, as the appeal board deems necessary. If the local agency does not modify the terms of the local land use decision, as required by the appeal board, the Attorney General shall bring an action to require the local agency to modify the local land use decision in accordance with the determination of the appeal board.

(g)  If the appeal board is convened by the Governor or the Governor’s designee pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 25199.9, the appeal board shall not issue a decision approving the appeal of the interested person unless the appeal board finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that the land use decision approved by the local agency failed to impose one or more conditions necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare. If the appeal board approves the appeal of the interested person concerning these conditions, the appeal board shall require the local agency to modify the land use decision in accordance with the appeal board’s decision. If the local agency does not modify the land use decision as required by the appeal board, the Attorney General shall bring an action to require the local agency to modify the land use decision in accordance with the determination of the appeal board.

(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 1354, Sec. 6. Effective October 2, 1989.)