292.65(9)(a)(a)
Right of action. A right of action under this section shall accrue to the state against an owner or operator only if the owner or operator submits a fraudulent application or does not meet the requirements under this section and if an award is issued under this section to the owner or operator for eligible costs under this section.
292.65(9)(b)
(b)
Action to recover awards. The attorney general shall take appropriate actions to recover awards to which the state is entitled under
par. (a). The department shall request that the attorney general take action if the department discovers a fraudulent application after an award is issued.
292.65(9)(c)
(c)
Disposition of funds. The net proceeds of the recovery under
par. (b) shall be paid into the dry cleaner environmental response fund.
292.65(10)(a)(a) No common law liability, and no statutory liability that is provided in a statute other than this section, for damages resulting from a dry cleaning facility is affected by this section. Except as provided in
par. (b), the authority, power and remedies provided in this section are in addition to any authority, power or remedy provided in any statute other than this section or provided at common law.
292.65(10)(b)
(b) An award under this section is the exclusive method for the recovery of the amount of eligible costs equal to the amount of the award that may be issued under this section.
292.65(10)(c)
(c) If a person conducts a remedial action activity for a discharge at a dry cleaning facility site, whether or not the person files an application under this section, the remedial action activity conducted and any application filed under this section are not evidence of liability or an admission of liability for any potential or actual environmental pollution.
292.65(11)
(11) Environmental fund reimbursement. If the department expends funds from the environmental fund under
s. 292.11 (7) (a) or
292.31 (3) (b) because of a discharge of dry cleaning solvent at a dry cleaning facility, the department shall transfer from the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (6) (eq) to the environmental fund an amount equal to the amount expended under
s. 292.11 (7) (a) or
292.31 (3) (b). The department shall make transfers under this subsection when the department determines that sufficient funds are available in the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (6) (eq).
292.65(12)(a)(a) The department shall promulgate rules prescribing requirements for the records to be maintained by an owner, operator or service provider and the periods for which they must retain those records.
292.65(12)(b)
(b) The department may inspect any document in the possession of an owner, operator or service provider or any other person if the document is relevant to an application for reimbursement under this section.
292.65(12m)
(12m) Prohibition. No person may knowingly make or cause to be made a false or misleading statement in any document submitted to the department under this section.
292.65(13)
(13) Council. The dry cleaner environmental response council shall advise the department concerning the programs under this section and
s. 292.66. The dry cleaner environmental response council shall evaluate the program under this section at least every 5 years, using criteria developed by the council.
292.65(14)
(14) Sunset. This section does not apply after June 30, 2032.
292.65 History
History: 1997 a. 27;
1999 a. 9,
185 ss.
143 to
145,
188 to
190.
292.66
292.66
Assistance for purchase and installation of interim remedial equipment at dry cleaning facilities. 292.66(1)(1) The department shall allocate 46% of the funds appropriated under
s. 20.370 (6) (eq) in each fiscal year for awards to reimburse owners and operators for costs of preliminary site screening and the purchase and installation of equipment to begin the cleanup of discharges of dry cleaning solvent from dry cleaning facilities before the completion of full site investigations and remedial action plans. The department may not make an award under this section before September 1, 1998, or after June 30, 2002.
292.66(2)
(2) The owner or operator of a dry cleaning facility is eligible for an award under this section if all of the following apply:
292.66(2)(a)
(a) The owner or operator reports the dry cleaning solvent discharge to the department in a timely manner, as provided in
s. 292.11.
292.66(2)(b)
(b) The owner or operator conducts a preliminary site screening, including an onsite mobile laboratory analysis of any soil and groundwater affected by the discharge to determine the location for installation of the interim remedial equipment.
292.66(2)(c)
(c) Immediate action is not necessary at the affected dry cleaning facility.
292.66(2)(d)
(d) The owner or operator installs equipment that is approved by the department to begin the cleanup of the discharge of dry cleaning solvent.
292.66(2)(f)
(f) The owner or operator submits an application for reimbursement in a form and manner specified by the department and complies with any inspection requirements established by the department.
292.66(2)(g)
(g) The owner or operator of a dry cleaning facility that is operating at the time that the owner or operator applies for assistance under this section certifies that any perchloroethylene delivered to the dry cleaning facility is delivered using a closed, direct-coupled delivery system.
292.66(3)
(3) An award under this section shall equal 50% of the eligible costs, except that an award may not exceed $20,000. Of the total award, the reimbursement for the preliminary site screening shall equal 50% of the cost of conducting the preliminary site screening, except that the reimbursement for the preliminary site screening may not exceed $3,000.
292.66(4)
(4) The department may promulgate rules for determining the usual and customary costs for items for which it may make awards under this section and may use the rules to determine the amount of an applicant's eligible costs.
292.66(5)
(5) No person may knowingly make or cause to be made a false or misleading statement in any document submitted to the department under this section.
292.66 History
History: 1997 a. 27,
237;
1999 a. 9.
292.70
292.70
Indemnification for disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls. 292.70(2)
(2) Indemnification agreements concerning disposal of contaminated sediments. Subject to
sub. (4), the department may enter into an agreement with a municipality under which this state agrees to indemnify the municipality and its agencies, officials, employees and agents against liability for damage to persons, property or the environment resulting from the municipality's acceptance for disposal of sediments that are from the Great Lakes basin and are contaminated with PCBs, if the sediments are disposed of in a manner approved by the department.
292.70(3)
(3) Indemnification agreements concerning treatment of contaminated leachate. Subject to
sub. (4), the department may enter into an agreement with a municipality under which this state agrees to indemnify the municipality and its agencies, officials, employees and agents against any liability for damage to persons, property or the environment resulting from the municipality's conveyance or treatment of leachate that is contaminated with PCBs and that is from a landfill that accepts sediments contaminated with PCBs, if the leachate is treated in a manner approved by the department.
292.70(4)
(4) Requirements. The department may enter into an agreement under
sub. (2) or
(3) only if all of the following apply:
292.70(4)(a)
(a) The agreement is approved by the governor and the governing body of the municipality.
292.70(4)(b)
(b) The agreement specifies a method for determining whether the municipality is liable for damage described in
sub. (2) or
(3).
292.70(4)(c)
(c) The agreement requires the municipality to notify the department and the attorney general when a claim or lawsuit to which the agreement may apply is filed against the political subdivision.
292.70(4)(d)
(d) The agreement authorizes the attorney general to intervene on behalf of the municipality and this state in any lawsuit to which the agreement may apply.
292.70(4)(e)
(e) The agreement requires the operator of the solid waste disposal facility or wastewater treatment facility to minimize risks related to PCBs.
292.70(4)(f)
(f) The agreement authorizes the department to require the operator of the solid waste disposal facility or wastewater treatment facility to operate in a manner specified by the department in order to minimize risks related to PCBs.
292.70(6)
(6) Immunity. This section and any agreement entered into under
sub. (3) or
(4) may not be construed as consent to sue this state.
292.70(7)
(7) Review and payment. If a claim is filed under an agreement under
sub. (2) or
(3), the department shall review the claim to determine whether it is valid. A valid claim shall be paid from the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (2) (fq).
292.70 History
History: 1999 a. 9.
292.75
292.75
Brownfield site assessment grants. 292.75(1)(a)
(a) "Eligible site or facility" means an abandoned, idle or underused industrial or commercial facility or site, the expansion or redevelopment of which is adversely affected by actual or perceived environmental contamination.
292.75(1)(b)
(b) "Local governmental unit" means a city, village, town, county, redevelopment authority created under
s. 66.431 [
s. 66.1333], community development authority created under
s. 66.4325 [
s. 66.1335], or housing authority.
292.75 Note
Note: The bracketed language indicates the correct cross-references. Corrective legislation is pending.
292.75(1)(d)
(d) "Underground hazardous substance storage tank system" means an underground storage tank used for storing a hazardous substance other than a petroleum product together with any on-site integral piping or dispensing system with at least 10% of its total volume below the surface of the ground.
292.75(2)(a)(a) The department shall administer a program to award brownfield site assessment grants from the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (6) (et) to local governmental units for the purposes of conducting any of the eligible activities under
sub. (3).
292.75(2)(b)
(b) The department may not award a grant to a local governmental unit under this section if that local governmental unit caused the environmental contamination that is the basis for the grant request.
292.75(2)(c)
(c) The department may only award grants under this section if the person that caused the environmental contamination that is the basis for the grant request is unknown, cannot be located or is financially unable to pay the cost of the eligible activities.
292.75(2)(d)
(d) The department shall promulgate rules as necessary to administer the program. Rules promulgated by the department under this paragraph may limit the total amount of funds that may be used to cover the costs of each category of eligible activity described in
sub. (3).
292.75(3)
(3) Eligible activities. The department may award grants to local governmental units to cover the costs of the following activities:
292.75(3)(a)
(a) The investigation of environmental contamination on an eligible site or facility for the purposes of reducing or eliminating environmental contamination.
292.75(3)(b)
(b) The demolition of any structures, buildings or other improvements located on an eligible site or facility.
292.75(3)(c)
(c) The removal of abandoned containers, as defined in
s. 292.41 (1), from an eligible site or facility.
292.75(3)(d)
(d) Asbestos abatement activities, as defined in
s. 254.11 (2), conducted on an eligible site or facility.
292.75(3)(e)
(e) The removal of underground hazardous substance storage tank systems.
292.75(3)(f)
(f) The removal of underground petroleum product storage tank systems.
292.75(4)
(4) Application for grant. The applicant shall submit an application on a form prescribed by the department and shall include any information that the department finds necessary to calculate the amount of a grant.
292.75(5)
(5) Grant criteria. The department shall consider the following criteria when determining whether to award a grant:
292.75(5)(a)
(a) The local governmental unit's demonstrated commitment to performing and completing necessary environmental remediation activities on the eligible site, including the local governmental unit's financial commitment.
292.75(5)(b)
(b) The degree to which the project will have a positive impact on public health and the environment.
292.75(5)(c)
(c) Other criteria that the department finds necessary to calculate the amount of a grant.
292.75(6)
(6) Limitation of grant. The total amount of all grants awarded to a local governmental unit in a fiscal year under this section shall be limited to an amount equal to 15% of the available funds appropriated under
s. 20.370 (6) (et) for the fiscal year.
292.75(7)
(7) Matching funds. The department may not distribute a grant unless the applicant contributes matching funds equal to 20% of the grant. Matching funds may be in the form of cash or in-kind contribution or both.
292.75 History
History: 1999 a. 9.
292.77
292.77
Sustainable urban development zone program. 292.77(2)
(2) The department shall develop and, beginning no later than January 1, 2001, administer a pilot program in the city of Beloit, the city of Green Bay, the city of La Crosse, the city of Milwaukee and the city of Oshkosh that promotes the use of financial incentives to clean up and redevelop brownfields. Funds provided under the program may be used to investigate environmental contamination and to conduct cleanups of brownfields in those cities.
292.77(3)
(3) In developing and administering the pilot program under
sub. (2), the department shall consult and coordinate with the department of administration, the department of commerce and the cities specified in
sub. (2).
292.77(4)
(4) During the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, the department shall make the following amounts available through the pilot program under
sub. (2):
292.77 History
History: 1999 a. 9.
292.81(1)(1) In this section, "valid prior lien" means a purchase money real estate mortgage that is recorded before the lien is filed under this section, including any extension or refinancing of that purchase money mortgage, or an equivalent security interest, or a 2nd or subsequent mortgage for home improvement or repair that is recorded before the lien is filed under this section, including any extension or refinancing of that 2nd or subsequent mortgage.
292.81(2)(a)(a) Before incurring expenses under
s. 292.11 or
292.31 (1),
(3) or
(7) with respect to a property, the department shall provide to the current owner of the property and to any mortgagees of record a notice containing all of the following:
292.81(2)(a)3.
3. A statement that the property owner could be liable for the expenses incurred by the department.
