A. Any duly authorized representative of the Department of Environmental Quality shall have the power to enter at reasonable times upon any private or public property for the purpose of sampling, inspecting and investigating conditions relating to pollution, damage to natural resources or the possible pollution of any air, land or waters of the state or the environment or relating to any other environmental or permitting responsibility authorized by law.

B. If the property to be entered has been identified on the federal National Priority List as a Superfund site or otherwise identified for an action under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, 42 U.S.C., Section 9601 et seq.) and the Department of Environmental Quality has been designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as lead agency for CERCLA activities at the site, any duly authorized representative of the Department shall have the power, in addition to the powers listed in subsection A of this section, to enter for purposes of conducting those CERCLA activities or to prevent unreasonable interference with such activities or remedies. The Department may seek administrative or judicial remedies for any person’s refusal to allow, or interference with, entry for this purpose.

C. The Department may require the establishment and maintenance of records and reports relating to any activity regulated by the Department. Copies of such records shall be submitted to the Department on request. Any authorized representative of the Department shall be allowed access and may examine such reports or records.

D. The Department may apply to and obtain from a judge of the district court, an order authorizing an administrative warrant to enforce access to premises for sampling, investigation, inquiry and inspection under the provisions of this Code and the rules promulgated by the Board. Failure to obey an administrative warrant of the district court may be punished by the district court as a contempt of court.

E. The Executive Director may appoint commissioned peace officers, certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, to investigate environmental crimes. Peace officers who become employed under this section who have service credit in the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System may, within thirty (30) days after becoming employed, elect to continue membership in the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System; otherwise they shall be eligible to enroll only in the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.

Added by Laws 1972, c. 242, § 9. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 25, eff. July 1, 1993. Renumbered from § 926.9 of Title 82 by Laws 1993, c. 145, § 359, eff. July 1, 1993. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 324, § 9, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1995, c. 285, § 22, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 2004, c. 141, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 1, § 23, emerg. eff. March 15, 2005.

NOTE: Laws 2004, c. 111, § 1 repealed by Laws 2005, c. 1, § 24, emerg. eff. March 15, 2005.