(a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) “Applicant” means the person who submits the environmental condition assessment form to the commissioner pursuant to this section;
(2) “Interim verification” means a written opinion by a licensed environmental professional, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, that (A) the investigation of the parcel, portion of the parcel or release area has been performed in accordance with prevailing standards and guidelines, (B) the remediation has been completed in accordance with the remediation standards, except that, for remediation standards for groundwater, the selected remedy is in operation but has not achieved the remediation standards for groundwater, (C) identifies the long-term remedy being implemented to achieve groundwater standards, the estimated duration of such remedy, and the ongoing operation and maintenance requirements for continued operation of such remedy, and (D) there are no exposure pathways to the groundwater area that have not yet met the remediation standards as of the date of such written opinion;
(3) “Release area” has the same meaning as provided in the regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to section 22a-133k; and
(4) “Verification” means the rendering of a written opinion by a licensed environmental professional on a form prescribed by the commissioner that an investigation of the parcel, portion of the parcel or release area has been performed in accordance with prevailing standards and guidelines and that the parcel, portion of the parcel or release area has been remediated in accordance with the remediation standards.
(b) Except as provided in section 22a-133y, any person may, at any time, submit to the commissioner an environmental condition assessment form for real property and an initial review fee in accordance with subsection (g) of this section. Such applicant shall use a licensed environmental professional to verify the investigation and remediation, unless not later than thirty days after the commissioner's receipt of such form, the commissioner notifies such applicant, in writing, that review and written approval of any remedial action at such property by the commissioner will be required. The commissioner shall not process any such form submitted pursuant to this section unless such form is accompanied by the required initial review fee.
(c) The applicant shall, on or before ninety days after the submission of an environmental condition assessment form, submit a statement of proposed actions for investigating and remediating the parcel or a release area and a schedule for implementing such actions. The commissioner may require the applicant to submit to the commissioner copies of technical plans and reports related to investigation and remediation of the parcel or release area. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the commissioner may determine that the commissioner's review and written approval of such technical plans and reports is necessary at any time, and in such case the commissioner shall notify the applicant of the need for the commissioner's review and written approval. The commissioner shall require that the certifying party submit to the commissioner all technical plans and reports related to the investigation and remediation of the parcel or release area if the commissioner receives a written request from any person for such information. The applicant shall advise the commissioner of any modifications to the proposed schedule.
(d) If the commissioner notifies the applicant that the commissioner will formally review and approve in writing the investigation and remediation of the parcel, the applicant shall, on or before thirty days of the receipt of such notice, or such later date as may be approved in writing by the commissioner, submit for the commissioner's review and written approval a proposed schedule for: (1) Investigating and remediating the parcel or release area; and (2) submitting to the commissioner technical plans, technical reports and progress reports related to such investigation and remediation. Upon the commissioner's approval of such schedule, the applicant shall, in accordance with the approved schedule, submit technical plans, technical reports and progress reports to the commissioner for the commissioner's review and written approval. The applicant shall perform all actions identified in the approved technical plans, technical reports and progress reports in accordance with the approved schedule. The commissioner may approve, in writing, any modification proposed in writing by the applicant to such schedule or investigation and remediation and may notify the applicant, in writing, if the commissioner determines that it is appropriate to discontinue formal review and approval of the investigation or remediation.
(e) (1) Upon receipt of an interim verification by a licensed environmental professional, the applicant may submit such interim verification to the commissioner. Any applicant who submits an interim verification pursuant to this subdivision shall, until the remediation standards for groundwater are achieved: (A) Operate and maintain the long-term remedy for groundwater in accordance with such interim verification and any applicable approval by the commissioner or remedial action plan; (B) prevent exposure to the groundwater plume; and (C) submit annual status reports to the commissioner.
(2) Upon receipt of a verification by a licensed environmental professional, the applicant shall submit such verification to the commissioner.
(f) If, in accordance with the provisions of this section, the commissioner has approved in writing or, as applicable, a licensed environmental professional has verified, that the parcel has been remediated in accordance with the remediation standards, such approval or verification may be used as the basis for submitting a Form II pursuant to sections 22a-134 to 22a-134e, inclusive, provided there has been no additional discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration of hazardous waste at or on the parcel subsequent to the date of the commissioner's approval or verification by a licensed environmental professional.
(g) The fee for submitting an environmental condition assessment form to the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be three thousand two hundred fifty dollars and shall be paid at the time the environmental condition assessment form is submitted. Any fee paid pursuant to this section shall be deducted from any fee required by subsection (m) or (n) of section 22a-134e for the transfer of any parcel for which an environmental condition assessment form has been submitted within three years of such transfer.
(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or impair the voluntary site remediation process provided for in section 22a-133y.
(i) Prior to commencement of remedial action taken under this section, the applicant shall (1) publish notice of the remediation, in accordance with the schedule submitted pursuant to this section, in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the area affected by the parcel, (2) notify the director of health of the municipality where the parcel is located of the remediation, and (3) either (A) erect and maintain for at least thirty days in a legible condition a sign not less than six feet by four feet on the parcel, which sign shall be clearly visible from the public highway, and shall include the words “ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP IN PROGRESS AT THIS SITE. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:” and include a telephone number for an office from which any interested person may obtain additional information about the remediation, or (B) mail notice of the remediation to each owner of record of property which abuts the parcel, at the last-known address of such owner on the last-completed grand list of the municipality where the parcel is located.
(P.A. 95-183, S. 3; P.A. 96-113, S. 7, 17; P.A. 98-134, S. 4; 98-253, S. 13; P.A. 99-225, S. 4, 14, 20; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 118; P.A. 07-81, S. 2; P.A. 09-235, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 405; P.A. 14-88, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 96-113 amended Subsec. (a) to add definition of “municipality”, effective May 24, 1996; P.A. 98-134 and P.A. 98-253 both amended Subsec. (a) to allow owners of property in GA and GAA areas to submit an environmental condition assessment form under this section, and P.A. 98-134 also amended Subsec. (b) to include remediation of entire release areas in remediation plans under this section; P.A. 99-225 amended Subsec. (a) to allow remediation under this section of property owned by any political subdivision of the state and to delete definition of “municipality”, amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to provide for investigation and verification of remediation of specific release areas, effective June 29, 1999, and added a new Subsec. (g) regarding notice of remedial action undertaken pursuant to this section; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (e) to increase fee for submitting environmental condition assessment form from $2,000 to $3,000, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 07-81 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that a licensed environmental professional shall verify investigation and remediation unless department notifies the owner that department will do the verification, amended Subsec. (b) to delete provisions requiring commissioner to notify the owner re formal department review and to provide that commissioner may require department review at any time, amended Subsec. (g) to provide that only owners of property abutting the parcel need be notified at their last-known address and added references to “political subdivision” and made conforming and technical changes throughout; P.A. 09-235 amended Subsec. (a) to define “applicant”, to allow “any person” to submit assessment forms, rather than political subdivisions of the state and certain property owners, and to replace references to political subdivisions and property owners with “applicant” and amended Subsecs. (b), (c) and (g) to replace references to political subdivisions and property owners with “applicant”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (e) by increasing fee from $3,000 to $3,250; P.A. 14-88 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provision re definition of “applicant” as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdivs. (2) to (4) defining “interim verification”, “release area” and “verification”, designated existing portion of Subsec. (a) re submission of assessment form to commissioner as new Subsec. (b), redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended same by deleting provisions re definition of release area in regulations and submission of verification to commissioner, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), added new Subsec. (e) re submission of verification, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (g) as Subsecs. (f) to (i), and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 3, 2014.