(1) (a) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that there is a significant backlog in the processing of claims being made against the petroleum storage tank fund. Claims for reimbursement for cleaning up petroleum contamination are not acted upon in a timely manner, which places the storage tank owner in financial jeopardy. Lenders are reluctant to write loans on contaminated property, causing the next phase of remediation to be delayed and allowing contamination to spread, threatening the environment and unnecessarily escalating future cleanup expenses.
(b) The general assembly further finds, determines, and declares that it is in the best interest of this state to transfer petroleum storage tank administrative functions performed by the department of public health and environment to the department of labor and employment, and thereby consolidate the administration and regulation of petroleum storage tanks in this state under one department, which will minimize the cost of such functions and centralize management.
(2) (a) The administrative functions of the petroleum storage tank fund, including claims processing, corrective action plan review and approval, and any other responsibilities for petroleum storage tank programs performed by the department of public health and environment prior to July 1, 1995, are transferred to the department of labor and employment. All employees of the department of public health and environment, excluding any contract labor, who perform the functions transferred pursuant to this subsection (2) and whose employment in the department of labor and employment is deemed necessary by the executive director of the said department are transferred to the department of labor and employment and shall become employees thereof.
Such employees shall retain all rights to the state personnel system and retirementbenefits under the laws of this state, and their services shall be deemed to have been continuous. All transfers and any abolishment of positions in the state personnel system shall be made and processed in accordance with state personnel system laws and rules.
On July 1, 1995, all items of property, real and personal, including office furnitureand fixtures, books, documents, and records of the department of public health and environment pertaining to the duties and functions transferred to the department of labor and employment pursuant to this subsection (2) are transferred to the department of labor and employment and shall become the property of such department.
(3) Repealed.
Source: L. 95: Entire article added, p. 399, § 1, effective July 1.
Editor's note: Subsection (3)(c) provided for the repeal of subsection (3), effective December 31, 1996. (See L. 95, p. 399.)