Section 324.21310a - Notice of corrective action; institutional controls; restrictive covenants; alternative mechanisms; notice of land use restrictions.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 451 of 1994
324.21310a Notice of corrective action; institutional controls; restrictive covenants; alternative mechanisms; notice of land use restrictions.
Sec. 21310a.
(1) If the corrective action activities at a site result in a final remedy that relies on tier I commercial or industrial criteria, institutional controls shall be implemented as provided in this subsection. A notice of corrective action shall be recorded with the register of deeds for the county in which the site is located prior to submittal of a closure report under section 21312a. A notice shall be filed under this subsection only by the property owner or with the express written permission of the property owner. The form and content of the notice shall be subject to approval by the department. A notice of corrective action recorded under this subsection shall state the land use that was the basis of the corrective action selected by a consultant retained by the owner or operator. The notice shall state that if there is a proposed change in the land use at any time in the future, that change may necessitate further evaluation of potential risks to the public health, safety, and welfare and to the environment and that the department shall be contacted regarding any proposed change in the land use. Additional requirements for financial assurance, monitoring, or operation and maintenance shall not apply if contamination levels do not exceed the levels established in the tier I evaluation.
(2) If corrective action activities at a site rely on institutional controls other than as provided in subsection (1), the institutional controls shall be implemented as provided in this subsection. The restrictive covenant shall be recorded with the register of deeds for the county in which the property is located within 30 days from submittal of the final assessment report pursuant to section 21311a, unless otherwise agreed to by the department. The restrictive covenant shall be filed only by the property owner or with the express written permission of the property owner. The restrictions shall run with the land and be binding on the owner's successors, assigns, and lessees. The restrictions shall apply until the department determines that regulated substances no longer present an unacceptable risk to the public health, safety, or welfare or to the environment. The restrictive covenant shall include a survey and property description which define the areas addressed by the corrective action plan and the scope of any land use or resource use limitations. The form and content of the restrictive covenant are subject to approval by the department and shall include provisions to accomplish all of the following:
(a) Restrict activities at the site that may interfere with corrective action, operation and maintenance, monitoring, or other measures necessary to assure the effectiveness and integrity of the corrective action.
(b) Restrict activities that may result in exposure to regulated substances above levels established in the corrective action plan.
(c) Prevent a conveyance of title, an easement, or other interest in the property from being consummated by the property owner without adequate and complete provision for compliance with the corrective action plan and prevention of exposure to regulated substances described in subdivision (b).
(d) Grant to the department and its designated representatives the right to enter the property at reasonable times for the purpose of determining and monitoring compliance with the corrective action plan, including but not limited to the right to take samples, inspect the operation of the corrective action measures, and inspect records.
(e) Allow the state to enforce restrictions set forth in the covenant by legal action in a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
(f) Describe generally the uses of the property that are consistent with the corrective action plan.
(3) If a consultant retained by the owner or operator determines that exposure to regulated substances may be reliably restricted by a means other than a restrictive covenant and that imposition of land use or resource use restrictions through restrictive covenants is impractical, the consultant may select a corrective action plan that relies on alternative mechanisms. Mechanisms that may be considered under this subsection include, but are not limited to, an ordinance that prohibits the use of groundwater in a manner and to a degree that protects against unacceptable exposure to a regulated substance as defined by the cleanup criteria identified in the corrective action plan. An ordinance that serves as an exposure control under this subsection shall include both of the following:
(a) A requirement that the local unit of government notify the department 30 days before adopting a modification to the ordinance or the lapsing or revocation of the ordinance.
(b) A requirement that the ordinance be filed with the register of deeds as an ordinance affecting multiple properties.
(4) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (3), if a mechanism other than a notice of corrective action, an ordinance, or a restrictive covenant is requested by a consultant retained by an owner or operator and the department determines that the alternative mechanism is appropriate, the department may approve of the alternate mechanism.
(5) A person who implements corrective action activities shall provide notice of the land use restrictions that are part of the corrective action plan to the local unit of government in which the site is located within 30 days of submittal of the corrective action plan, unless otherwise approved by the department.
History: Add. 1995, Act 22, Imd. Eff. Apr. 13, 1995 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 116, Imd. Eff. Mar. 6, 1996
Popular Name: Act 451
Popular Name: NREPA