(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture may investigate any suspected or actual spill, as defined in section 22a-452c, which may threaten any shellfish grounds. The commissioner may monitor any such suspected or actual spill and may provide for any testing to determine the extent of any impact of such a spill on shellfish in the area. The person responsible for such spill shall be liable, in accordance with the provisions of section 22a-6a, for the reasonable costs and expenses of the commissioner incurred pursuant to this section.

(b) Upon written complaint by the Commissioner of Agriculture that there exists an impairment or threat to the marketability of shellfish due to any such spill, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall investigate or order the person who caused or reasonably may be expected to cause such spill to investigate all points of existing or potential spills which may directly or indirectly result in contamination of shellfish and may order such person to abate such spill in accordance with the provisions of section 22a-432.

(c) If any such spill results in the closure of a recreational shellfish bed or harvesting area, the person responsible for such spill, as determined by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall be liable to any municipal shellfish commission which has jurisdiction over such bed or area for any loss of revenue attributable to fees which would have been paid to such commission by recreational users of such bed or area. The Attorney General, upon complaint of the commission, may institute a civil action to recover such revenue. Any amount recovered shall be returned to the commission.

(P.A. 95-156, S. 2; P.A. 96-180, S. 131, 166; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 96-180 amended Subsec. (a) to change “discharge” to “spill”, effective June 3, 1996; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011.