SENATE, No. 1769

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 14, 1997

 

 

By Senators MATHEUSSEN and SINAGRA

 

 

An Act concerning plans to prevent and respond to the discharge of certain hazardous substances at certain facilities, and amending P.L.1990, c.78.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Section 9 of P.L.1990, c.78 (C.58:10-23.11d9) is amended to read as follows:

    9. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection b. of this section, the department shall, as soon as practicable, but not later than six months following a filing of a DPCC plan, contingency plan, or a renewal thereof, or, in the case of plan amendments, within 60 days of the filing of the amendments, review the filing to determine compliance with all statutory requirements, including rules and regulations adopted thereunder.

    b. The department may, at any time during the plan, plan renewal or plan amendment review period approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a plan, plan renewal, or plan amendments. If a plan, plan renewal or plan amendments are disapproved, the owner or operator of the major facility or transmission pipeline shall have 30 days from receipt of written notice of the disapproval, and the reasons therefor, within which to submit a revised plan or plan amendments. The department may, at any time after an on-site inspection of a facility or pipeline, or a discharge or other emergency at a facility or pipeline, direct the owner or operator of the major facility or transmission pipeline to submit amendments to a DPCC plan or contingency plan on file with the department, or to submit additional documentation or information in conjunction with a filed plan or amendments. If within 30 days of receipt of a written request therefor, the owner or operator of the major facility or transmission pipeline fails to file a revised plan, amendments, or requested information satisfactory to the department, or fails to contest the department's request in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the DPCC plan, contingency plan, renewal plan, or plan amendments shall be deemed to have been disapproved by the department and the owner or operator of the facility or pipeline shall be in violation of section 2 or section 3, as appropriate, of P.L.1990, c.78 (C.58:10-23.11d2 or 58:10-23.11d3). The department may, for good cause, extend by up to an additional 30 days the time period for filing a revised plan or plan amendments, or for responding to a request for information.

    Upon request, the department shall make available for public inspection, the approved DPCC plan, contingency plan, or renewal plan filed by the owner or operator of each major facility or transmission pipeline. Any person, upon inspecting the information contained in the DPCC plan, contingency plan, or renewal plan, may submit written comments to the department concerning any deficiency in that information. Upon review of the written comments, the department may require the owner or operator of the major facility or transmission pipeline to submit additional information in response to the written comments. Information determined to be confidential pursuant to rules or regulations adopted by the department shall not be available for public inspection.

(cf: P.L.1990, c.78, s.9)

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection to make available for public inspection any approved discharge prevention, control, and countermeasure (DPCC) plan, discharge response, cleanup, and removal contingency plan, or renewal plan filed by the owner or operator of each major facility or transmission pipeline pursuant to P.L.1990, c.78. Any person, upon inspecting the information contained in the DPCC plan, contingency plan, or renewal plan, may submit written comments to the department concerning any deficiency in the information. Upon review of the written comments, the department may require the owner or operator of the major facility or transmission pipeline to submit additional information in response to the written comments. Information determined to be confidential by the department shall not be available for public inspection.

 

 

 

Provides for public inspection of plans to prevent and respond to discharges of certain hazardous substances at certain facilities.