California Codes

Cal. Penal Code § 374.8 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a)In any prosecution under this section, proof of the elements of the offense shall not be dependent upon the requirements of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(b)Any person who knowingly causes any hazardous substance to be deposited into or upon any road, street, highway, alley, or railroad right-of-way, or upon the land of another, without the permission of the owner, or into the waters of this state is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for a term of 16 months, two years, or three years, or by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, unless the deposit occurred as a result of an emergency that the person promptly reported to the appropriate regulatory authority.

(c)For purposes of this section, “hazardous substance” means either of the following:

(1)Any material that, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released into the environment, including, but not limited to, hazardous waste and any material that the administering agency or a handler, as defined in Chapter 6.91 (commencing with Section 25410) of Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, has a reasonable basis for believing would be injurious to the health and safety of persons or harmful to the environment if released into the environment.

(2)Any substance or chemical product for which one of the following applies:

(A)The manufacturer or producer is required to prepare a MSDS, as defined in Section 6374 of the Labor Code, for the substance or product pursuant to the Hazardous Substances Information Training Act (Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 6360) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Labor Code) or pursuant to any applicable federal law or regulation.

(B)The substance is described as a radioactive material in Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations maintained and updated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

(C)The substance is designated by the Secretary of Transportation in Chapter 27 (commencing with Section 1801) of the appendix to Title 49 of the United States Code and taxed as a radioactive substance or material.

(D)The materials listed in subdivision (b) of Section 6382 of the Labor Code.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2005–2024 · leading case: Coshow v. City of Escondido, 2005 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8311 (Cal. Ct. App. 2005).

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Coshow v. City of Escondido, 2005 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 8311 (Cal. Ct. App. 2005). “(Pen. Code, § 374.8, subd. (b).) Under Code of Civil Procedure section 526a, a taxpayer may challenge wasteful or illegal government action that otherwise would go unchallenged because of standing requirements.”

Schaeffer v. Gregory Vill. Partners, L.P., 105 F. Supp. 3d 951 (N.D. Cal. 2015). · cites it 4× “Plaintiffs argue that Gregory Village violated public and private nuisance statutes, including California Code of Civil Procedure section 731 and California Civil Code sections 3479 and 3480, as well as California Penal Code section 374.8(b) and California Water Code section…”

Castle v. Hui CA6 (Cal. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 2× “The second statute Hui cites, Penal Code section 374.8, makes it unlawful to knowingly deposit hazardous substances upon any road, railroad right-of-way, or upon 8 the land of another, or waters of this state.”

People v. Sounatananh CA4/2 (Cal. Ct. App. 2024). “into state waters); Fish and Game Code section 1602 (prohibiting substantial diversion or obstruction of natural water flow); Penal Code section 374.8 (prohibiting hazardous substances to enter state waters).”

— Cal. Penal Code § 374.8(b) — 1 case

Schaeffer v. Gregory Vill. Partners, L.P., 105 F. Supp. 3d 951 (N.D. Cal. 2015). “Plaintiffs argue that Gregory Village violated public and private nuisance statutes, including California Code of Civil Procedure section 731 and California Civil Code sections 3479 and 3480, as well as California Penal Code section 374.8(b) and California Water Code section…”

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