§2274. Notification and demand of secretary

A. After the secretary has determined that a discharge or disposal has occurred which may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment, he shall attempt to notify each person known to have disposed of, transported to, or allowed the discharge or disposal at a pollution source or facility that they are to provide him with all information on hazardous substances disposed of or discharged at the site including:

(1) The types of substances and their chemical name or makeup if known.

(2) The volumes of such substances disposed of or discharged.

(3) The locations of disposal or discharge of any known pollution source or facility.

(4) Dates of disposal and amounts on each date.

(5) Person providing transportation of hazardous substances.

(6) Name of owner or operator at the site at the time of disposal or discharge.

B. Any person who willfully fails to provide the information to the secretary as required by this Section shall be liable for a penalty of up to twenty-five thousand dollars for each day that the required information is not received after the date on which it is due and shall not be allowed to avail himself of the defenses provided in R.S. 30:2277.

C. The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations no later than January 1, 1989, for requiring from all persons who have or may have generated, transported, disposed of or discharged, or contracted for the transportation, disposal, or discharge of a hazardous substance which was discharged or disposed of at any pollution source or facility the types of information in accordance with Subsection A of this Section and any other such information as the secretary deems necessary. The secretary is authorized to do a general survey of all generators of hazardous waste in the state with regard to their past or present methods of disposal of hazardous wastes in accordance with Subsection A of this Section.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, if the secretary, pursuant to his investigation, determines that it is not feasible for him to notify every potentially responsible person at the site of a pollution source or facility, he may limit his notice to those persons he deems most responsible based on the volume of hazardous substances disposed of or discharged, the toxicity of substances disposed of or discharged, failure to exercise due diligence in the handling, maintenance, or disposal at the site, knowledge of the risk associated with the discharge or disposal at the site, and other such criteria as the secretary may deem necessary.

Acts 1984, No. 791, §1; Acts 1988, No. 624, §1; Acts 1988, No. 965, §1, eff. July 27, 1988.