(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, and except as otherwise provided in this section and section 21323c, the following persons are liable under this part:

    (a) The owner or operator if the owner or operator is responsible for an activity causing a release or threat of release.

    (b) An owner or operator who became an owner or operator on or after March 6, 1996, unless the owner or operator complies with the following:

    (i) A baseline environmental assessment is conducted prior to or within 45 days after the earlier of the date of purchase, occupancy, or foreclosure. For purposes of this section, assessing property to conduct a baseline environmental assessment does not constitute occupancy.

    (ii) The owner or operator provides a baseline environmental assessment to the department and subsequent purchaser or transferee within 6 months after the earlier of the date of purchase, occupancy, or foreclosure.

    (iii) If the owner or operator fails to meet the time frames in subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the owner or operator requests and receives from the department a determination that its failure to comply with the time frames was inconsequential.

    (c) The estate or trust of a person described in subdivisions (a) and (b).

    (2) Subject to section 21304c, an owner or operator who complies with subsection (1)(b) is not liable for contamination existing at the property on which an underground storage tank system is located at the earlier of the date of purchase, occupancy, or foreclosure, unless the person is responsible for an activity causing the contamination. Subsection (1)(b) does not alter a person's liability with regard to a subsequent release or threat of release from an underground storage tank system if the person is responsible for an activity causing the subsequent release or threat of release.

    (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the following persons are not liable under this part with respect to contamination at property on which an underground storage tank system is located resulting from a release or threat of release unless the person is responsible for an activity causing that release or threat of release:

    (a) This state, a county road commission, or a local unit of government if it acquired ownership or control of the property involuntarily through bankruptcy, tax delinquency, abandonment, a transfer from a lender or other circumstances in which the government involuntarily acquires title or control by virtue of its governmental function or as provided in this part; a county road commission or a local unit of government to which ownership or control of property is transferred by this state, by a county road commission, or by another local unit of government that is not liable under subsection (1); or this state, a county road commission, or a local unit of government if it acquired ownership or control of property by seizure, receivership, or forfeiture pursuant to the operation of law or by court order.

    (b) This state, a county road commission, or a local unit of government if it holds or acquires an easement interest in property, holds or acquires an interest in property by dedication in a plat, or by dedication pursuant to the public highways and private roads act, 1909 PA 283, MCL 220.1 to 239.6, or otherwise holds or acquires an interest in property for a transportation or utility corridor, including sewers, pipes, and pipelines, or public rights-of-way.

    (c) A person that holds an easement interest in property or holds a utility franchise to provide service, for the purpose of conveying or providing goods or services, including, but not limited to, utilities, sewers, roads, railways, and pipelines; or a person that acquires access through an easement.

    (d) A person that owns severed subsurface mineral rights or severed subsurface formations or who leases subsurface mineral rights or formations.

    (e) This state, a county road commission, or a local unit of government if it leases property to a person and is not liable under this part for environmental contamination at the property.

    (f) A person that acquires property as a result of the death of the prior owner or operator of the property, whether by inheritance, devise, or transfer from an inter vivos or testamentary trust.

    (g) A person that did not know and had no reason to know that the property was contaminated. To establish that the person did not know and did not have a reason to know that the property was contaminated, the person shall have undertaken at the time of acquisition all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial or customary practice. A determination of liability under this section shall take into account any specialized knowledge or experience on the part of the person, the relationship of the purchase price to the value of the property if uncontaminated by a regulated substance, commonly known or reasonable ascertainable information about the property, the obviousness of the presence or likely presence of a release or threat of release at the property, and the ability to detect a release or threat of release by appropriate inspection.

    (h) A utility performing normal construction, maintenance, and repair activities in the normal course of its utility service business. This subdivision does not apply to property owned by the utility.

    (i) A lessee who uses the leased property for a retail, office, or commercial purpose regardless of the level of the lessee's regulated substance use unless the lessee is otherwise liable under this section.

    (4) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the following persons are not liable under this part:

    (a) A lender that engages in or conducts a lawful marshaling or liquidation of personal property if the lender does not cause or contribute to the environmental contamination. This includes holding a sale of personal property on a portion of the property.

    (b) A person that owns or operates property onto which contamination has migrated unless that person is responsible for an activity causing the release that is the source of the contamination.

    (c) A person that owns or operates property on which the release or threat of release was caused solely by 1 or more of the following:

    (i) An act of God.

    (ii) An act of war.

    (iii) An act or omission of a third party other than an employee or agent of the person or a person in a contractual relationship existing either directly or indirectly with a person that is liable under this section.

    (d) Any person for environmental contamination addressed in a closure report that is approved by the department or is considered approved under section 21315(4). Notwithstanding this subdivision, a person may be liable under this part for the following:

    (i) A subsequent release not addressed in the closure report if the person is otherwise liable under this part for that release.

    (ii) Environmental contamination that is not addressed in the closure report and for which the person is otherwise liable under this part.

    (iii) If the closure report relies on land use or resource use restrictions, a person who desires to change those restrictions is responsible for any corrective action necessary to comply with this part for any land use or resource use other than the land use or resource use that was the basis for the closure report. However, if the closure report relies on an alternate mechanism as provided for in section 21310a and the ordinance, state law, or rule is modified, lapses, or is revoked or the public highway is relocated, vacated, or abandoned, the owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a for the environmental contamination addressed in the closure report shall notify the department 30 days before the ordinance, state law, or rule is modified, lapses, or is revoked or the public highway is relocated, vacated, or abandoned. In such cases, the owner or operator is liable under this part for additional corrective action activities necessary to address any increased risk of exposure to the environmental contamination.

    (iv) If the closure report relies on monitoring necessary to assure the effectiveness and integrity of the corrective action, an owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a for environmental contamination addressed in a closure report is liable under this part for additional corrective action activities necessary to address any potential exposure to the environmental contamination demonstrated by the monitoring in excess of the levels relied on in the closure report.

    (v) If the corrective actions that were the basis for the closure report fail to meet performance objectives that are identified in the closure report or section 21304a, an owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a for environmental contamination addressed in the closure report is liable under this part for corrective action necessary to satisfy the performance objectives or otherwise comply with this part.

    (5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the state or a local unit of government or a lender who has not participated in the management of the property is not liable under this part for costs or damages as a result of corrective action taken in response to a release or threat of release. For a lender, this subsection applies only to corrective action undertaken prior to foreclosure. This subsection does not preclude liability for costs or damages as a result of gross negligence, including reckless, willful, or wanton misconduct, or intentional misconduct by this state or local unit of government.

    (6) In establishing liability under this section, the department bears the burden of proof.

    (7) An owner or operator who was in compliance with subsection (1)(b) prior to May 1, 2012 is considered to be in compliance with subsection (1)(b).