Louisiana § RS 32:1519 - Reimbursement of remedial costs

§ RS 32:1519. Reimbursement of remedial costs

            A. Any person who has transported a hazardous material as defined in this Chapter, a hazardous substance as defined in R.S. 30:2272, a hazardous waste as defined in R.S. 30:2173, or a transporter who has worked a hazardous material accident shall be liable to the state for undertaking remedial action or for all costs of remedial actions taken in cleaning up any discharge or disposal at a pollution source or facility if it can be shown that the hazardous material, hazardous substance, or hazardous waste was discharged or disposed of directly by the transporter and the transporter directly caused the discharge or disposal for which remedial action must be undertaken.

            B.(1) The secretary may order any transporter causing a discharge or disposal of a hazardous material, hazardous substance, or hazardous waste at a pollution source or facility to take any remedial actions necessary to contain, abate, cleanup, restore, or remove the discharge or disposal.

            (2) When the secretary must file suit against a transporter to recover remedial costs or to obtain remedial action, the court shall also award to the state a penalty of twenty-five percent of the amount determined to be remedial costs.

            C.(1) When the secretary orders one transporter to undertake remedial action and other transporters or persons have caused or contributed to the discharge or disposal, the transporter or wrecker service company undertaking remedial action may sue for reimbursement from any other transporter or person responsible for the costs of remedial actions attributable to that transporter or person.

            (2) When the remedial action is undertaken voluntarily, in accordance with an agreement entered into with the secretary, the person undertaking such remedial action may sue other responsible parties and may recover twice their share of the remedial costs.

            (3) Prior to the filing of any suit by a person undertaking remedial action, a written demand must be made on the person from whom remedial costs are being demanded.

            D. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

            (1) "Discharge" means:

            (a) The placing, releasing, spilling, percolating, draining, pumping, leaking, seeping, emitting or other escaping of pollutants into the air, waters, subsurface water, or the ground as the result of a prior act or omission; or

            (b) The placing of pollutants into pits, drums, barrels, or similar containers under conditions and circumstances that leaking, seeping, draining, or escaping of the pollutants can be reasonably anticipated.

            (2) "Disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that such waste, or any constituent thereof, may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including ground waters.

            (3) "Facility" means a pollution source or any public or private property or facility where an activity is conducted which is required to be regulated under this Chapter and which does or has the potential to do any of the following:

            (a) Emit air contaminants into the atmosphere.

            (b) Discharge pollutant into waters of the state.

            (c) Use or control radioactive materials and waste.

            (d) Transport, process, or dispose of solid wastes.

            (e) Generate, transport, treat, store or dispose of hazardous wastes.

            (4) "Pollution source" means the immediate site or location of a discharge or potential discharge, including such surrounding property necessary to secure or quarantine the area from access by the general public.

            (5) "Remedial cost" means, after the discharge or disposal of a hazardous substance, the cost of:

            (a) Removing, confining, or storing any hazardous substance;

            (b) Constructing barriers, securing the site, encapsulating in clay or other impermeable material;

            (c) Cleaning up a contamination, recycling, or reuse of a hazardous substance;

            (d) Diversion, destruction, or segregation of reactive or other wastes;

            (e) Dredging or excavating a site;

            (f) Repairing or replacing leaking containers;

            (g) Collection of leachate and runoff;

            (h) Onsite treatment or incineration of a substance;

            (i) Provision of alternative water supplies;

            (j) Monitoring, testing, or analyzing;

            (k) Employing legal, engineering, chemical, biological, architectural, or other professional consultants or personnel;

            (l) Investigation, initiation, or prosecution of lawsuits to final judgment;

            (m) Transporting and disposing of waste from the site;

            (n) Or any other action the secretary deems necessary to restore the site or remove the hazardous substance.

            (o) Wrecker service companies undertaking remedial action involving hazardous material accidents.

            Acts 1984, No. 791, §2; Acts 2023, No. 142, §1.