New Hampshire § 485-H-4 - Section 485-H:4 Implementation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Life Protection.

§ 485-H-4. Section 485-H:4 Implementation of Groundwater, Surface Water and Aquatic Life Protection.

I. The department shall provide low interest loans and grants to publicly-owned and non-profit wastewater and/or wastewater residual treatment or storage facilities that are required to treat effluent and residuals to achieve applicable PFAS standards prior to discharge or disposal. II. The department shall provide the loans and grants described in paragraph I if the applicant demonstrates, and the department agrees, that the project is the most cost-effective way to meet applicable PFAS standards and if the project meets the other provisions of this chapter and department rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. The applicant shall provide evidence in the application for funding that there is not a more cost-effective way to meet applicable PFAS standards. III. The department shall adopt rules, and include conditions in loan and grant documents, to ensure that the applicant has made reasonable efforts to obtain and use funds from any liable or potentially liable third party prior to and after taking a loan from the PFAS response fund or receiving a grant, and that any money received from a liable or potentially liable third party at a later time is applied to early repayment of the loan from the PFAS response fund to the extent reasonable. In addition, the department shall adopt rules establishing criteria to ensure that an applicant shall not be eligible for loans or grants for any project or portion of a project to the extent the negligence of the applicant caused the contamination that resulted in the exceedance of an applicable PFAS standard. IV. If the department forgives any part of a loan or provides a grant related to costs for a project for which a third party might otherwise be liable, the right to recover payment from such third party shall be subrogated to the department to the extent of such forgiveness. Any money recovered by the department from such third party shall be deposited in the PFAS response fund. V. Loans may be made for up to the total cost of the project minus any contribution from a liable or potentially liable third party or any other portion deemed ineligible under this chapter and department rules.