About the Library

The Cal/EPA Public Library contains the collections of the Air Resources Board, Integrated Waste Management Board, the Department of Pesticide Regulations, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The Integrated Waste Management Board Collection contains more than 15,000 documents and books on various aspects of waste management, including source reduction; reuse; recycling; e-waste; market development of recycled materials; composting; waste-to-energy utilization; and landfill technology. California topographic quad maps are also housed here. Videos on waste management may be viewed in the on-site video room.

The Air Resources Board Collection contains more than 10,000 books and documents and 100,000 research reports that deal with all aspects of air pollution. Special collections include the APTIC (Air Pollution Technical Information Center) and NTIS (National Technical Information Center) documents.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control Collection contains materials on toxic wastes and hazardous substances including administrative regulations as passed by the Department (and documentation on how and why the regulations came to be created, final statement of reasons, etc.), current and potential technologies for the management and disposal of hazardous wastes, cleanup of hazardous waste sites including works on contaminated groundwater and soil; guidance documents on the handling, disposal and documentation of hazardous wastes; and information on the hazardous waste management in specific industries such as metal finishing, underground tank storage, etc.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation Resource Center houses some 60,000 volumes of data containing more than 180,000 studies. This data includes information on a pesticide's chemical composition; physical, chemical, and toxicological properties; efficacy; intended usage; and application methods. Because of federal restrictions, the Library is open to authorized staff only. However, data may be requested through the California Public Records Act. For further information, please call (916) 324-3548 or e-mail librarydesk@dpr.ca.gov.