(a)  In exercising its authority at a hazardous substance release site pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25355.5 or 25358.3, the department shall issue orders to the largest manageable number of potentially responsible parties after considering all of the following:

(1)  The adequacy of the evidence of each potentially responsible party’s liability.

(2)  The financial viability of each potentially responsible party.

(3)  The relationship or contribution of each potentially responsible party to the release, or threat of release, of hazardous substances at the site.

(4)  The resources available to the department.

(b)  The department shall schedule a meeting pursuant to Section 25269.5 and notify all identified potentially responsible parties of the date, time, and location of the meeting.

(c)  A person issued an order pursuant to Section 25355.5 or 25358.3 may identify additional potentially responsible parties for the site to which the order is applicable and may request the department to issue an order to those parties. The request shall include, with appropriate documentation, the factual and legal basis for identifying those parties as potentially responsible parties for the site. The department shall review the request and accompanying information and, within a reasonable period of time, determine if there is a factual and legal basis for identifying other persons as potentially responsible parties, and notify the person that made the request of the action the department will take in response to the request.

(d)  Any determination made by the department regarding the largest manageable number of potentially responsible parties or the identification of other persons as potentially responsible parties pursuant to this section is not subject to judicial review. This subdivision does not affect the rights of any potentially responsible party or the department under any other provision of this chapter.

(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 23, Sec. 2. Effective May 26, 1999.)