68-215-127 - Exclusivity of provisions.

68-215-127. Exclusivity of provisions.

(a)  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all releases of petroleum or petroleum products from petroleum underground storage tanks shall be solely and exclusively regulated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and rules and regulations promulgated to implement the provisions of this chapter.

(b)  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all releases of petroleum or petroleum products that by request or directive of the department require a clean-up response under state law shall be solely and exclusively subject to the soil and groundwater classification and clean-up criteria promulgated hereunder. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “soil and groundwater classification and clean-up criteria” refers to the procedures, methods and levels developed to determine appropriate clean-up levels for soil and groundwater, including, without limitation, the classification of soil and groundwater by use, quality or other category, the manner of establishing a site-specific cleanup standard and promulgated clean-up levels. “Soil and groundwater classification and clean-up criteria,” however, does not include the procedures and methods of conducting an investigation, such as determining the extent of contamination, or a cleanup, such as the selection, design or implementation of a remedy. The soil and groundwater classification and clean-up criteria shall be applied by all the divisions of the department pursuant to the provisions of any applicable law.

[Acts 1988, ch. 984, § 29; T.C.A., § 68-53-127; 1996, ch. 864, § 1.]