§ 8-7-807 - Responsibility and liability of owner.
8-7-807. Responsibility and liability of owner.
(a) (1) Upon a determination that a release of a regulated substance from a storage tank has occurred, the owner or operator shall notify the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The owner or operator shall immediately undertake to collect and remove the release and to restore the area affected in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter.
(2) However, the obligation of an owner or operator of an aboveground storage tank to notify the department or undertake the other activities required in this subsection shall not exceed and will be limited to the existing requirements of any other applicable federal or state statutes or regulations.
(b) If the owner or operator fails to proceed as required in subsection (a) of this section, the owner and operator shall be liable to the department for any costs incurred by the department for undertaking corrective action or enforcement action with respect to the release of a regulated substance from a storage tank.
(c) (1) No adjacent property owner shall unduly impede or interfere with any efforts of the department or the owner or operator to undertake investigation, site assessment, or corrective action in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter.
(2) (A) Any adjacent property owner violating subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be liable for any investigation, site assessment, or corrective action costs resulting from such violation.
(B) If the adjacent property owner denies access to property when such access is reasonably necessary for investigation, site assessment, or corrective action undertaken by the department or by the owner or operator under a department directive, order, or approved corrective action plan, the department may order the adjacent property owner to undertake the portion of investigation, site assessment, or corrective action which was prohibited by the denial of access.
(d) (1) Any party found liable for any costs or expenditures recoverable under this subchapter which establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that only a portion of such costs or expenditures are attributable to his or her actions shall be required to pay only for that portion.
(2) If the trier of fact finds the evidence insufficient to establish each party's portion of costs or expenditures, the court shall apportion the costs or expenditures, to the extent practicable, according to equitable principles, among the responsible parties.
(3) In any action under this subchapter, no responsible party shall be liable for more than that party's apportioned share of the amount of costs or expenditures recoverable for the site.
(4) Any expenditures required under this subchapter made by a responsible party, before or after suit or before or after a complaint has been filed with or heard by the Arkansas State Claims Commission, shall be credited toward any apportioned share.
(e) Any costs recovered by the department under this section shall be used to reimburse the Petroleum Storage Tank Trust Fund in the amount utilized by the department and the balance, if any, deposited into the Regulated Substance Storage Tank Program Fund.