Senate Bill S228

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Relates to municipality responsibility for remedial programs involving hazardous wastes at sites owned by municipalities

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to environmental conservation
Jan 07, 2009	referred to environmental conservation

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A335
Current Committee:: Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §27-1313, En Con L
Versions Introduced in 2011-2012 Legislative Session:: S1454, A1407

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that a municipality which received title to property through escheat, any other involuntary transfer, or through the exercise of eminent domain authority shall not be considered responsible for the contamination and remediation of such property unless the municipality generated, transported, disposed of, arranged for or caused the disposal of hazardous wastes or substances at the subject property.

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S228

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
determining municipality responsibility for hazardous waste remedial
programs


 PURPOSE :
This bill exempts municipalities from the responsibility for hazardous
waste remedial programs for properties which they acquired through
escheat, involuntary transfer, condemnation, or eminent domain, if the
municipality did not contribute to the wastes found on the site.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
This bill amends the state Superfund Program, Section 27-1313 of the
Environmental Conservation Law. This bill would exempt municipalities
from financial responsibility for remedial action on property which
they received title through escheat, involuntary transfer or
acquisition, eminent domain purchase or condemnation, unless the
municipality participated in the generation, transportation, or
disposal of the hazardous wastes or substances located on the
property.

 EXISTING LAW :
This bill would codify in New York State Law the exemption offered to

municipalities in the Federal Superfund Law (CERC-LA, Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) for fiscal
responsibility for contaminated property remediation.

 JUSTIFICATION :
As properties contaminated with hazardous wastes and substances lose
their resale value many land owners allow the contaminated property to
be claimed by municipalities to payoff their tax liability and to
dispose of the property. This leaves many municipalities throughout
the state owning and being responsible for numerous contaminated
properties. The current State Superfund program requires responsible
parties to remediate the hazardous wastes found on the site. The law
defines responsible parties as any entity that generated, transported
or disposed of the wastes at the site and the current land owner. If a
municipality was not involved with the generation, transportation, or
disposal of the waste on the site, it should not be held responsible
for the clean-up of lands they received through the default of taxes.
The original owners of the land and generators of the wastes should be
responsible for the remediation of the site, not the taxpayers of a
community that did not contribute to the contamination.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
S.663, (2007-08)
S.1335 (2005-06)
S.754  (2003-04)
S.1426 (2001-02)
S.2460 (1999-00)

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

    S. 228                                                    A. 335

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                      S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2009
                               ___________

IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered print-
  ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental
  Conservation

IN  ASSEMBLY  -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred
  to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
  determining  municipality  responsibility for hazardous waste remedial
  programs

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Subdivision  4  of  section  27-1313 of the environmental
conservation law, as added by chapter  282  of  the  laws  of  1979,  is
amended to read as follows:
  4.  Any  order  issued  pursuant  to subdivision three of this section
shall be issued only after notice and the opportunity for a  hearing  is
provided  to  persons  who may be the subject of such order. The commis-
sioner shall determine which persons are responsible  pursuant  to  said
subdivision  according  to  applicable principles of statutory or common
law liability, EXCEPT THAT A MUNICIPALITY WHICH RECEIVED  TITLE  TO  THE
PROPERTY  THROUGH  ESCHEAT, OR THROUGH ANY OTHER INVOLUNTARY TRANSFER OR
ACQUISITION, OR THROUGH THE EXERCISE  OF  EMINENT  DOMAIN  AUTHORITY  BY
PURCHASE  OR  CONDEMNATION  SHALL  NOT BE CONSIDERED RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
CONTAMINATION OF THE PROPERTY, UNLESS THE MUNICIPALITY GENERATED, TRANS-
PORTED, OR DISPOSED OF, ARRANGED FOR, OR  THE  MUNICIPALITY  CAUSED  THE
GENERATION,   TRANSPORTATION,   OR   DISPOSAL  OF  HAZARDOUS  WASTES  OR
SUBSTANCES LOCATED AT REAL PROPERTY PROPOSED TO BE INVESTIGATED OR TO BE
REMEDIATED.  Such persons shall be entitled to raise  any  statutory  or
common  law defense at any such hearing and such defenses shall have the
same force and effect at such hearings as they would have in a court  of

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD02063-01-9

S. 228                              2                             A. 335

law.  In  the  event  a hearing is held, no order shall be issued by the
commissioner under subdivision three of this section until a final deci-
sion has been rendered. Any such order shall be reviewable  pursuant  to
article  seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules within thirty
days after service of such  order.  The  commissioner  may  request  the
participation of the attorney general in such hearings.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S228

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

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2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Kenneth P. LaValle

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Actions

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S228 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments