(A) As used in this section, "commercial facility" means a facility of a business engaged for profit in the storage and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls, substances, equipment, and devices containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, or both.

(B) The director of environmental protection, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may adopt, amend, suspend, or rescind rules with respect to all of the following subjects:

(1) Notification of the existence or proposed establishment of any commercial facility;

(2) Required inspections of commercial facilities, including, without limitation, a requirement that any such commercial facility be inspected before commencing its activities;

(3) Establishing standards for the storage and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and substances, equipment, and devices containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls at commercial facilities;

(4) Establishing standards and criteria for defining substances, equipment, and devices containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls for the purposes of this section.

Rules adopted under divisions (B)(3) and (4) of this section shall be identical to federal laws and regulations governing the storage and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and substances, devices, and equipment containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls.

No person shall violate a rule adopted under this section.

(C) The director shall not issue an enforcement order or request the attorney general to bring a civil action for injunction or imposition of a civil penalty under section 3734.13 of the Revised Code, and neither the director, a board of health of a health district, nor the legislative authority of a political subdivision shall request the attorney general, the prosecuting attorney of a county, or a city director of law to prosecute or bring an action for injunction under section 3734.10 of the Revised Code, for a violation of a rule adopted under division (B) of this section if the United States environmental protection agency has commenced and is pursuing administrative or civil proceedings to impose a civil penalty or has commenced criminal prosecution of the violation under applicable federal law. This division does not require that administrative, civil, and criminal actions to enforce a rule adopted under division (B) of this section be abandoned if the action was commenced before the United States environmental protection agency initiated an administrative, civil, or criminal action with respect to the violation.

(D) The director may expend moneys credited to the hazardous waste clean-up fund created in section 3734.28 of the Revised Code for the payment of the cost of measures necessary for the proper cleanup of sites where polychlorinated biphenyls and substances, equipment, and devices containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls have been stored or disposed of. Before beginning to clean up any site under this division, the director shall develop a plan for the cleanup and an estimate of its cost. The director may carry out the plan in whole or in part by entering into contracts for that purpose. The director shall keep an itemized record of the cost of the measures performed, including, without limitation, the cost for labor, materials, and any contract services required. Upon completion of the measures, the director shall record the cost of performing those measures at the office of the county recorder of the county in which the site is located. The cost so recorded constitutes a lien against the property on which the site is located until discharged. Upon written request of the director, the attorney general shall institute a civil action to recover the cost. Any moneys so received shall be credited to the hazardous waste clean-up fund created in section 3734.28 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 05-08-1996.