58:12A-22.1. Radium-contaminated water supply sub-account; indication of radium; confirmatory test; loans

a. There is established in the "Water Supply Replacement Trust Fund" established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1988, c.106 (C.58:12A-22) a Radium-Contaminated Water Supply sub-account. Monies in the Radium-Contaminated Water Supply sub-account shall be used by the Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of testing and mapping those aquifers identified by the department to determine the extent of radium contamination of the aquifer, and by the department or a municipal or regional health agency certified by the department pursuant to section 15 of P.L.1977, c.443 (C.26:3A2-33) for the purpose of financing confirmatory tests to determine the presence of radium in potable water supplies.

b. Any owner of a single family residence who has conducted a gross alpha or a gross beta screen test of the potable water supply relied upon by the occupants of the single family residence, the results of which indicate the presence of radium in the potable water supply in excess of a safety level established by the department, may petition the department to conduct a confirmatory test, which may be based on representative sampling, to determine the accuracy of the initial test. Upon receipt of such a request, the department shall conduct the confirmatory test. No request for a confirmatory test may be made by a person pursuant to this subsection until the department has completed the testing and mapping of aquifers required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

c. Of the amount appropriated to the Radium-Contaminated Water Supply sub-account, the sum of $1,000,000 is allocated to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency established pursuant to P.L.1983, c.530 (C.55:14K-1 et seq.) and dedicated for the purposes of providing low interest loans to owners of single family residences whose source of potable water is contaminated or threatened by contamination with radium to provide a permanent alternative potable water supply or adequate treatment technology.

The agency shall establish a program to provide the loans authorized pursuant to this subsection. The loans issued pursuant to this subsection shall bear an interest of not more than 2 percent per year, and shall be for a term of not more than five years. The maximum amount for any single loan shall be $10,000. Loan applicants shall provide certification from the Department of Environmental Protection or from a municipal or regional health agency certified pursuant to section 15 of P.L.1977, c.443 (C.26:3A2-33) of the contamination or the threat of this contamination when applying for loans on forms prescribed by the agency.

d. There is appropriated to the Radium-Contaminated Water Supply sub-account the sum of $3,500,000 from the "Clean Waters Fund" established pursuant to P.L.1976, c.92 from amounts in the fund received as repayments of emergency water supply loans made pursuant to P.L.1981, c.28.

L.1989, c.311, s.4.