(a)  On or before July 1, 2000, the department and the State Water Resources Control Board shall establish two community service offices, one to serve northern California and the other to serve southern California. With regard to sites listed pursuant to Section 25356 where the department or regional board is taking action to investigate or remediate the site, the community assistance offices shall facilitate communication between the department or regional board, the responsible parties, and the affected community, including any community advisory group that may have been formed in the community where the hazardous substance release site is located.

(b)  Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 25390.3, the department and, if appropriate, the State Water Resources Control Board shall expend a total of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) per year from the Orphan Share Reimbursement Trust Fund established pursuant to Article 7.8 (commencing with Section 25390) on the operation of the community service offices established pursuant to this section. The offices shall use these funds to provide direct technical and logistical support to any community advisory group established pursuant to Section 25358.7.1. Funds allocated pursuant to this subdivision shall supplement, and not supplant, any funds expended for the purposes of developing and implementing other public participation activities required to be undertaken pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, activities undertaken pursuant to the National Contingency Plan or the public participation workplan required to be adopted by the department pursuant to Section 25358.7.

(c)  The State Water Resources Control Board may contract with the department to provide this service on behalf of a regional board if the State Water Resources Control Board finds that it would be more practical and economical to do so.

(d)  In implementing this section, the department and the regional boards are not obligated to expend funds beyond the amounts appropriated in any fiscal year for purposes of developing and implementing public participation activities required by other provisions of this chapter unless the Orphan Share Reimbursement Trust Fund contains funding at the level specified in subdivision (b).

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