Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-16-402

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section R18-16-402 - Applicability

A. This Article applies to sites on the site registry and as otherwise made applicable by law.

B. This Article applies only to remedial actions as defined in A.R.S. § 49-281. Nothing in this Article is intended to require a remedial action, including a remedy or early response action, to provide for or cover any costs that a property owner, a well owner, or water provider would incur if the release of hazardous substances that is the subject of the remedial action had not affected the property or water supply of the property owner, well owner or water provider. A property owner, well owner or water provider shall not be required to provide reimbursement for coincidental benefits resulting from a remedial action otherwise necessary and appropriate to address a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance. Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted to require remedial action to address a land use that is impaired by properties of materials located on or under that land other than the current or potential exposure to hazardous substances contained in that material.

C. For purposes of this Section, "transition site" means a site that is on the site registry where some remedial action has occurred prior to the effective date of this Article.

D. Any person who has performed any remedial action prior to the effective date of this Article at a transition site may submit a written request for the Department's approval of the remedial action under R18-16-413 if the remedial action has not been approved by the Department prior to the effective date of this Article. The request shall include a description of the remedial action, a demonstration that the work is reasonable and necessary and meets the applicable purposes of this Article, and copies of all documentation of the remedial action for which approval is requested. The Department shall approve:

1. Remedial investigation work performed prior to the effective date of this Article if the work meets the applicable purposes stated in R18-16-406(A),

2. Feasibility study work performed prior to the effective date of this Article if the work meets the purposes stated in R18-16-407(A), and

3. Early response action work performed prior to the effective date of this Article if the work meets the purposes stated in R18-16-405(A).

E. Remedial action work approved by the Department prior to the effective date of this Article shall be deemed approved for purposes of this Article. Remedial action work conducted under a work plan approved by the Department prior to the effective date of this Article shall be evaluated for approval by the Department under the terms of the approved work plan.

F. Notwithstanding subsections (D) and (E), neither a remedial investigation nor a feasibility study shall be considered complete under this Article until the information described in R18-16-406(D) is collected, a draft remedial investigation report is prepared and distributed under R18-16-406(F), and remedial objectives are developed under R18-16-406(I) and reported under R18-16-406(J). Thereafter, the procedures set forth in R18-16-407 through R18-16-412 shall apply to the selection of a remedy based upon the remedial investigation or feasibility study. To the extent that any of the alternative remedies discussed in a feasibility study that is substantially complete before the effective date of this Article will not achieve the remedial objectives, the feasibility study shall be modified so that the alternative remedies achieve remedial objectives. Additional evaluation of alternative remedies, if necessary, shall be conducted in accordance with R18-16-407 and reported in a supplemental report before preparation of a feasibility study report under R18-16-407(I).

G. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, this Article shall not apply to certain remedial action plans, written agreements, and court decrees or judgements approved, made or entered prior to the effective date of this Article as follows:

1. If prior to the effective date of this Article, the Department has approved a remedial action plan or entered into a written agreement for work under Title 49, Chapter 2, Article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, that includes the implementation of a remedy or the substantial equivalent of a remedy for a site or a portion of a site, the terms and conditions of the Department's approval or agreement, and not this Article, shall govern work within the scope of the approved remedial action plan or agreement and any modification thereto.

2. The terms and conditions of any court decree or judgement entered prior to the effective date of this Article, and not this Article, shall govern the work that is within the scope of the court decree and any modification thereto. If the work required by the court decree or judgement does not include the implementation of a remedy or the substantial equivalent of a remedy at a site or a portion of a site, then the selection of a remedy for the site or portion of the site shall be under this Article, and this Article may require additional remedial actions before a remedy can be selected, but a party to the consent decree shall not be required to conduct or pay for the additional remedial actions if the liability of the party is resolved by the court decree.

3. If an approval, agreement, court decree or judgement subject to subsection (G)(1) or (2) addresses only a portion of a site on the site registry and includes the implementation of a remedy or the substantial equivalent of a remedy for that portion of the site, then the work covered by the approval, agreement or decree shall be included as part of the remedial action plan and the record of decision selecting a remedy under this Article for the remainder of the site if agreed to by the parties to the approval, agreement, court decree or judgement.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-16-402

New Section made by exempt rulemaking at 8 A.A.R. 1491, effective March 4, 2002 (Supp. 02-1). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 29 A.A.R. 3516, effective 10/17/2023.