130A-309.60. Nuisance tire collection sites.

(a) On or after July 1, 1990, if the Department determines that a tire collection site is a nuisance, it shall notify the person responsible for the nuisance and request that the tires be processed or removed within 90 days. If the person fails to take the requested action within 90 days, the Department shall order the person to abate the nuisance within 90 days. If the person responsible for the nuisance is not the owner of the property on which the tire collection site is located, the Department may order the property owner to permit abatement of the nuisance. If the person responsible for the nuisance fails to comply with the order, the Department shall take any action necessary to abate the nuisance, including entering the property where the tire collection site is located and confiscating the scrap tires, or arranging to have the scrap tires processed or removed.

(b) When the Department abates the nuisance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the person responsible for the nuisance shall be liable for the actual costs incurred by the Department for its nuisance abatement activities and its administrative and legal expenses related to the abatement. The Department may ask the Attorney General to initiate a civil action to recover these costs from the person responsible for the nuisance. Nonpayment of the actual costs incurred by the Department shall result in the imposition of a lien on the owner's real property on which the tire collection site is located.

(c) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) A retail business premises where tires are sold if no more than 500 scrap tires are kept on the premises at one time;

(2) The premises of a tire retreading business if no more than 3,000 scrap tires are kept on the premises at one time;

(3) A premises where tires are removed from motor vehicles in the ordinary course of business if no more than 500 scrap tires are kept on the premises at one time;

(4) A solid waste disposal facility where no more than 60,000 scrap tires are stored above ground at one time if all tires received for storage are processed, buried, or removed from the facility within one year after receipt;

(5) A site where no more than 250 scrap tires are stored for agricultural uses; and

(6) A construction site where scrap tires are stored for use or used in road surfacing and construction of embankments.

(d) The descending order of priority for the Department's abatement activities under subsection (a) of this section is as follows:

(1) Tire collection sites determined by the Department to contain more than 1,000,000 tires;

(2) Tire collection sites which constitute a fire hazard or threat to public health;

(3) Tire collection sites in densely populated areas; and

(4) Any other tire collection sites that are determined to be a nuisance.

(e) This section does not change the existing authority of the Department to enforce any existing laws or of any person to abate a nuisance.

(f) As used in this section, "nuisance" means an unreasonable danger to public health, safety, or welfare or to the environment.