SENATE BILL No. 1584

 

 

November 10, 2010, Introduced by Senator BRATER and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending sections 20120a and 21304a (MCL 324.20120a and

 

324.21304a), section 20120a as added by 1995 PA 71 and section

 

21304a as amended by 1996 PA 116.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 20120a. (1) The department may establish cleanup criteria

 

and approve of remedial actions in the categories listed in this

 

subsection. The cleanup category proposed shall be the option of

 

the person proposing the remedial action, subject to department

 

approval, considering the appropriateness of the categorical

 

criteria to the facility. The categories are as follows:

 

     (a) Residential.

 


     (b) Commercial.

 

     (c) Recreational.

 

     (d) Industrial.

 

     (e) Other land use based categories established by the

 

department.

 

     (f) Limited residential.

 

     (g) Limited commercial.

 

     (h) Limited recreational.

 

     (i) Limited industrial.

 

     (j) Other limited categories established by the department.

 

     (2) The department may approve a remedial action plan based on

 

site specific criteria that satisfy the applicable requirements of

 

this part and the rules promulgated under this part. The department

 

shall utilize only reasonable and relevant exposure pathways in

 

determining the adequacy of a site specific criterion.

 

Additionally, the department may approve a remedial action plan for

 

a designated area-wide zone encompassing more than 1 facility, and

 

may consolidate remedial actions for more than 1 facility.

 

     (3) The department shall develop cleanup criteria pursuant to

 

subsection (1) based on generic human health risk assessment

 

assumptions determined by the department to appropriately

 

characterize patterns of human exposure associated with certain

 

land uses. The department shall utilize only reasonable and

 

relevant exposure pathways in determining these assumptions. The

 

department may prescribe more than 1 generic set of exposure

 

assumptions within each category described in subsection (1). If

 

the department prescribes more than 1 generic set of exposure

 


assumptions within a category, each set of exposure assumptions

 

creates a subcategory within a category described in subsection

 

(1). The department shall specify site characteristics that

 

determine the applicability of criteria derived for these

 

categories or subcategories.

 

     (4) If a hazardous substance poses a carcinogenic risk to

 

humans, the cleanup criteria derived for cancer risk under this

 

section shall be the 95% upper bound on the calculated risk of 1

 

additional cancer above the background cancer rate per 100,000

 

1,000,000 individuals using the generic set of exposure assumptions

 

established under subsection (3) for the appropriate category or

 

subcategory. If the hazardous substance poses a risk of an adverse

 

health effect other than cancer, cleanup criteria shall be derived

 

using appropriate human health risk assessment methods for that

 

adverse health effect and the generic set of exposure assumptions

 

established under subsection (3) for the appropriate category or

 

subcategory. A hazard quotient of 1.0 shall be used to derive

 

noncancer cleanup criteria. For the noncarcinogenic effects of a

 

hazardous substance present in soils, the intake shall be assumed

 

to be 100% of the protective level, unless compound and site-

 

specific data are available to demonstrate that a different source

 

contribution is appropriate. If a hazardous substance poses a risk

 

of both cancer and 1 or more adverse health effects other than

 

cancer, cleanup criteria shall be derived under this section for

 

the most sensitive effect.

 

     (5) If a cleanup criterion derived under subsection (4) for

 

groundwater in an aquifer differs from either: (a) the state

 


drinking water standard established pursuant to section 5 of the

 

safe drinking water act, Act No. 399 of the Public Acts of 1976,

 

being section 325.1005 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 1976 PA 399,

 

MCL 325.1005, or (b) criteria for adverse aesthetic characteristics

 

derived pursuant to R 299.5709 of the Michigan administrative code,

 

the cleanup criterion shall be the more stringent of (a) or (b)

 

unless the department determines that compliance with this rule is

 

not necessary because the use of the aquifer is reliably restricted

 

pursuant to section 20120b(4) or (5).

 

     (6) The department shall not approve of a remedial action plan

 

in categories set forth in subsection (1)(b) to (j), unless the

 

person proposing the plan documents that the current zoning of the

 

property is consistent with the categorical criteria being

 

proposed, or that the governing zoning authority intends to change

 

the zoning designation so that the proposed criteria are consistent

 

with the new zoning designation, or the current property use is a

 

legal nonconforming use. The department shall not grant final

 

approval for a remedial action plan that relies on a change in

 

zoning designation until a final determination of that zoning

 

change has been made by the local unit of government. The

 

department may approve of a remedial action that achieves

 

categorical criteria that is based on greater exposure potential

 

than the criteria applicable to current zoning. In addition, the

 

remedial action plan shall include documentation that the current

 

property use is consistent with the current zoning or is a legal

 

nonconforming use. Abandoned or inactive property shall be

 

considered on the basis of zoning classifications as described

 


above.

 

     (7) Cleanup criteria from 1 or more categories in subsection

 

(1) may be applied at a facility, if all relevant requirements are

 

satisfied for application of a pertinent criterion.

 

     (8) Except as provided in subsection (4) and subsections (9)

 

to (13), compliance with the residential category in subsection

 

(1)(a) shall be based on R 299.5709 through R 299.5711(4), R

 

299.5711(6) through R 299.5715 and R 299.5727 of the Michigan

 

administrative code. R 299.5711(5), R 299.5723, and R 299.5725 of

 

the Michigan administrative code shall not apply for calculations

 

of residential criteria under subsection (1)(a).

 

     (9) The need for soil remediation to protect an aquifer from

 

hazardous substances in soil shall be determined by R 299.5711(2)

 

of the Michigan administrative code, considering the vulnerability

 

of the aquifer or aquifers potentially affected if the soil remains

 

at the facility. Migration of hazardous substances in soil to an

 

aquifer is a pertinent pathway if appropriate based on

 

consideration of site specific factors.

 

     (10) The department may establish cleanup criteria for a

 

hazardous substance using a biologically based model developed or

 

identified as appropriate by the United States environmental

 

protection agency if the department determines all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) That application of the model results in a criterion that

 

more accurately reflects the risk posed.

 

     (b) That data of sufficient quantity and quality are available

 

for a specified hazardous substance to allow the scientifically

 


valid application of the model.

 

     (c) The United States environmental protection agency has

 

determined that application of the model is appropriate for the

 

hazardous substance in question.

 

     (11) If the cleanup criterion for a hazardous substance

 

determined by R 299.5707 of the Michigan administrative code is

 

greater than a cleanup criterion developed for a category pursuant

 

to subsection (1), the criterion determined pursuant to R 299.5707

 

of the Michigan administrative code shall be the cleanup criterion

 

for that hazardous substance in that category.

 

     (12) In determining the adequacy of a land-use based response

 

activity to address sites contaminated by polychlorinated

 

biphenyls, the department shall not require response activity in

 

addition to that which is subject to and complies with applicable

 

federal regulations and policies that implement the toxic

 

substances control act, Public Law 94-469, 15 U.S.C. 2601 to 2629,

 

2641 to 2656, 2661 to 2671, and 2681 to 2692 15 USC 2601 to 2695d.

 

     (13) Response activity to address the release of

 

uncontaminated mineral oil satisfies R 299.5709 of the Michigan

 

administrative code for groundwater or R 299.5711 of the Michigan

 

administrative code for soil under the Michigan administrative code

 

if all visible traces of mineral oil are removed from groundwater

 

and soil.

 

     (14) Approval by the department of a remedial action plan

 

based on 1 or more categorical standard standards in subsection

 

(1)(a) to (e) shall be granted only if the pertinent criteria are

 

satisfied in the affected media. The department shall approve the

 


use of probabilistic or statistical methods or other scientific

 

methods of evaluating environmental data when determining

 

compliance with a pertinent cleanup criterion if the methods are

 

determined by the department to be reliable , and scientifically

 

valid , and to best represent actual site conditions and exposure

 

potential.

 

     (15) If a remedial action allows for venting groundwater, the

 

discharge shall comply with requirements of part 31, and the rules

 

promulgated under that part or an alternative method established by

 

rule. If the discharge of venting groundwater is provided for in a

 

remedial action plan that is approved by the department, a permit

 

for the discharge is not required. As used in this subsection,

 

"venting groundwater" means groundwater that is entering a surface

 

water of the state from a facility.

 

     (16) A remedial action plan shall provide response activity to

 

meet the residential categorical criteria, or provide for

 

acceptable land use or resource use restrictions pursuant to

 

section 20120b.

 

     (17) A remedial action plan that relies on categorical cleanup

 

criteria developed pursuant to subsection (1) shall also consider

 

other factors necessary to protect the public health, safety, and

 

welfare, and the environment as specified by the department, if the

 

department determines based on data and existing information that

 

such considerations are relevant to a specific facility. These

 

factors include, but are not limited to, the protection of surface

 

water quality and consideration of ecological risks if pertinent to

 

the facility based on the requirements of R 299.5717 of the

 


Michigan administrative code.

 

     (18) The department shall annually evaluate and revise, if

 

appropriate, the cleanup criteria derived under this section. The

 

evaluation shall incorporate knowledge gained through research and

 

studies in the areas of fate and transport and risk assessment. The

 

department shall prepare and submit to the legislature a report

 

detailing revisions made to cleanup criteria under this section.

 

     Sec. 21304a. (1) Corrective action activities undertaken

 

pursuant to this part shall be conducted in accordance with the

 

process outlined in RBCA in a manner that is protective of the

 

public health, safety, and welfare, and the environment.

 

     (2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the department shall

 

establish cleanup criteria for corrective action activities

 

undertaken under this part using the process outlined in RBCA. The

 

department shall utilize only reasonable and relevant exposure

 

assumptions and pathways in determining the cleanup criteria.

 

     (3) If a regulated substance poses a carcinogenic risk to

 

humans, the cleanup criteria derived for cancer risk shall be the

 

95% upper bound on the calculated risk of 1 additional cancer above

 

the background cancer rate per 100,000 1,000,000 individuals using

 

the exposure assumptions and pathways established by the department

 

and the process in RBCA. If a regulated substance poses a risk of

 

both cancer and an adverse health effect other than cancer, cleanup

 

criteria shall be derived for cancer and each adverse health

 

effect.

 

     (4) If a cleanup criterion for groundwater differs from either

 

(a) the state drinking water standard established pursuant to

 


section 5 of the safe drinking water act, Act No. 399 of the Public

 

Acts of 1976, being section 325.1005 of the Michigan Compiled Laws

 

1976 PA 399, MCL 325.1005, or (b) criteria for adverse aesthetic

 

characteristics derived pursuant to R 299.5709 of the Michigan

 

administrative code, the cleanup criterion shall be the more

 

stringent of (a) or (b) unless a consultant retained by the owner

 

or operator determines that compliance with (a) or (b) is not

 

necessary because the use of the groundwater is reliably restricted

 

pursuant to section 21310a.

 

     (5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, if a

 

release or threat of release at a site is not solely the result of

 

a release or threat of release from an underground storage tank

 

system, the owner or operator of the underground storage tank

 

system may choose to perform response activities pursuant to part

 

201 in lieu of corrective actions pursuant to this part.