CONTAMINATED SITES ACT 2003 - SECT 29
CONTAMINATED SITES ACT 2003 - SECT 29
29 . State — responsibility for remediation
(1) The State is
responsible for remediation of a site to the extent that —
(a) the
contamination of the site was a direct and unavoidable result of a direction
given, or an action carried out, by a public authority, other than a local
authority, unless the contamination resulted from a reasonable direction
given, or a reasonable act carried out, in an emergency situation to save life
or to protect property or the environment;
(b) the
contamination was present, or was caused or contributed to by contamination
that was present, on land that comprised all, or part, of the site and in
respect of which a certificate of contamination audit was given which, at the
time the certificate was given —
(i)
failed to identify the contamination due to a failure
under section 63(4) to take into account —
(I) any relevant guideline;
(II) any currently
accepted industrial standard; or
(III) any other
information contained in, or accompanying, the request for the certificate of
contamination audit;
or
(ii)
identified the contamination, but failed to classify the
site as contaminated — remediation required , contamination —
restricted use or remediated for restricted use as a result of that
contamination being identified;
(c) no
other person is responsible for remediation of the site in accordance with
section 24;
(d) if
it has been decided by the committee that a person who is responsible for
remediation of the site in accordance with section 24 —
(i)
cannot be identified or found; or
(ii)
cannot be made to assume responsibility for the
remediation,
after reasonable
attempts have been made to do so;
(e) a
person responsible for remediation of the site in accordance with section 24
is insolvent;
(f) an
owner is not responsible for remediation of the site in accordance with
section 27(3); or
(g)
responsibility for remediation is transferred to the State under
section 30(1)(b) or 31.
(2) A decision of the
committee under subsection (1)(d) is a decision as to responsibility for
remediation to which Part 3 Division 3 applies.
(3) The CEO is to take
such action as the CEO considers necessary, with such assistance as the CEO
considers necessary, to investigate and remediate a site for which, and to the
extent to which, the State is responsible for remediation.
(4) Subject to
sections 87 and 88 of the EP Act, an authorised person or an inspector may
assist the CEO to take any action under subsection (3), if the CEO so requests
.