(a)  At each site, a community advisory group may be established by the affected community to review any response action and comment on the response action to be conducted in that community. The department or regional board shall regularly communicate, and confer as appropriate, with the community advisory committee. The department or regional board shall also advise local environmental regulatory agencies and other appropriate local agencies of planned response actions and provide opportunities for review and comment. If the department or regional board, whichever is overseeing a response action, receives a petition signed by at least 50 members of a community affected by the response action at a site or a resolution adopted by the legislative body of the jurisdiction within which the response action has been or will be initiated, the department or regional board shall assist the petitioners or the legislative body to establish a community advisory group to review the response action at the site.

(b)  To the extent possible, the composition of each community advisory group shall reflect the composition of the affected community and the diversity of interests of the community by including all of the following types of individuals on the community advisory group:

(1)  Persons owning or residing on property located near the hazardous substance release site or in an adjacent community, or other persons who may be directly affected by the response action.

(2)  Individuals from the local business community.

(3)  Local political or government agency representatives.

(4)  Local citizen, civic, environmental, or public interest group members residing in the community.

(c)  The following entities may participate in community advisory group meetings in order to provide information and technical expertise:

(1)  The department or regional boards.

(2)  Representatives of local environmental regulatory agencies.

(3) The potentially responsible parties or other persons who are conducting the response action.

(d)  The existence of a community advisory group shall not diminish any other obligation of the department or regional board with respect to public participation requirements specified in Section 25358.7. Nothing in this section shall affect the status of any citizen advisory group formed before the enactment of this section, a federal Department of Defense Restoration Advisory Board, or a federal Department of Energy Advisory Board.

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