66-1518. Rules and regulations; schedule of rates; use.

(1) The Environmental Quality Council shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations governing reimbursements authorized under the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Act. Such rules and regulations shall include:

(a) Procedures regarding the form and procedure for application for payment or reimbursement from the fund, including the requirement for timely filing of applications;

(b) Procedures for the requirement of submitting cost estimates for phases or stages of remedial actions, procurement requirements to be followed by responsible persons, and requirements for reuse of fixtures and tangible personal property by responsible persons during a remedial action;

(c) Procedures for investigation of claims for payment or reimbursement;

(d) Procedures for determining the amount and type of costs that are eligible for payment or reimbursement from the fund;

(e) Procedures for auditing persons who have received payments from the fund;

(f) Procedures for reducing reimbursements made for a remedial action for failure by the responsible person to comply with applicable statutory or regulatory requirements. Reimbursement may be reduced as much as one hundred percent; and

(g) Other procedures necessary to carry out the act.

(2) The Director of Environment and Energy shall (a) estimate the cost to complete remedial action at each petroleum contaminated site where the responsible party has been ordered by the department to begin remedial action, and, based on such estimates, determine the total cost that would be incurred in completing all remedial actions ordered; (b) determine the total estimated cost of all approved remedial actions; (c) determine the total dollar amount of all pending claims for payment or reimbursement; (d) determine the total of all funds available for reimbursement of pending claims; and (e) include the determinations made pursuant to this subsection in the department's annual report to the Legislature.

(3) The Department of Environment and Energy shall make available to the public a current schedule of reasonable rates for equipment, services, material, and personnel commonly used for remedial action. The department shall consider the schedule of reasonable rates in reviewing all costs for the remedial action which are submitted in a plan. The rates shall be used to determine the amount of reimbursement for the eligible and reasonable costs of the remedial action, except that (a) the reimbursement for the costs of the remedial action shall not exceed the actual eligible and reasonable costs incurred by the responsible person or his or her designated representative and (b) reimbursement may be made for costs which exceed or are not included on the schedule of reasonable rates if the application for such reimbursement is accompanied by sufficient evidence for the department to determine and the department does determine that such costs are reasonable.

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