Subdivision 1. State action. The state, by the attorney general, may bring a state action against any insurer for recovery of all environmental response costs incurred and to be incurred by the state, which costs are related to qualified facilities for which the state has assumed response action obligations or responsibilities under sections 115B.39 to 115B.43, and for which costs policyholders of the insurer may be liable. No assignment of any rights of a policyholder to the state and no judgment against the policyholder is required as a condition for the state bringing an action under this subdivision. The state shall make reasonable efforts to notify affected policyholders of the state's commencement of an action under this section. An affected policyholder may intervene in an action under this section. For purposes of this section, an "affected policyholder" means a policyholder whose rights under an insurance policy relevant to an action under this section may be affected by the action. All defenses available to a policyholder to any claim of liability for environmental response costs asserted or which could be asserted against it shall be available to the insurer in an action brought by the state under this subdivision. In any action under this subdivision, the claim of the state shall be limited by the applicable terms, conditions, and provisions of the relevant insurance policy under which coverage may be provided, and the state shall have no greater rights than the rights of the policyholder under its insurance policy subject to the statutory and common law that applies to the determination of those rights. Nothing in sections 115B.441 to 115B.445 shall be construed to relieve any policyholder of liability for environmental response costs to the extent of any insurance coverage of the policyholder by reason of the assumption of obligations or responsibilities by the state for environmental response actions under sections 115B.39 to 115B.43. Before the attorney general may commence an action against an insurer under this subdivision, for any claims with respect to a qualified facility, the attorney general and the commissioner shall present to the insurer a written settlement offer, and shall provide the insurer with an opportunity to negotiate and enter a settlement with the state as provided in section 115B.443. In any action under this subdivision, the state shall have the same rights as individual policyholders to recover its reasonable expenses and costs of litigation, including attorney fees.
Subd. 2. Actions by policyholders; state approval of settlements. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), nothing in sections 115B.441 to 115B.444 affects the right of a policyholder to bring or pursue any action against, or enter any settlement with, an insurer for any claims for which the state has a right of action against the insurer under this section and that have not been resolved by a settlement or judgment under this section. The state may intervene in an action in which a policyholder seeks to recover a claim for which the state has a right of action under this section.
(b) A policyholder may not enter a settlement that releases an insurer from any claims for which the state has an action under subdivision 1, unless the attorney general has given prior written approval to the settlement and the policyholder agrees to assign to the state any amounts recovered under the settlement from the insurer that are attributable to the resolution of the claims.
1996 c 370 s 4
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapters 114C - 116I — Environmental Protection
Chapter 115B — Environmental Response And Liability
Section 115B.02 — Definitions.
Section 115B.03 — Responsible Person.
Section 115B.04 — Liability For Response Costs And Natural Resources; Limitations And Defenses.
Section 115B.055 — Effect Of Removing And Repealing Certain Provisions.
Section 115B.06 — Application To Past Actions.
Section 115B.08 — Apportionment And Contribution.
Section 115B.09 — Comparative Fault And Contribution.
Section 115B.10 — No Avoidance Of Liability; Insurance And Subrogation.
Section 115B.11 — Statute Of Limitations.
Section 115B.12 — Other Remedies Preserved.
Section 115B.13 — Double Recovery Prohibited.
Section 115B.14 — Awarding Costs.
Section 115B.15 — Applicability.
Section 115B.16 — Disposition Of Facilities.
Section 115B.17 — State Response To Releases.
Section 115B.171 — Testing For Private Wells; East Metropolitan Area.
Section 115B.172 — Natural Resources Damages Account.
Section 115B.175 — Voluntary Response Actions; Liability Protection; Procedures.
Section 115B.177 — Owner Of Real Property Affected By Off-site Release.
Section 115B.178 — Association With Release; Commissioner's Determination.
Section 115B.179 — Commissioner's Authority Not Limited.
Section 115B.19 — Purpose Of Remediation Fund.
Section 115B.20 — Actions Using Money From Remediation Fund.
Section 115B.25 — Definitions.
Section 115B.26 — Paying Claims.
Section 115B.28 — Powers And Duties Of Agency.
Section 115B.29 — Eligible Persons.
Section 115B.30 — Eligible Injury And Damage.
Section 115B.31 — Other Actions.
Section 115B.32 — Claim For Compensation.
Section 115B.33 — Claim Standards.
Section 115B.34 — Compensable Losses.
Section 115B.35 — Determining Claims.
Section 115B.36 — Amount And Form Of Payment.
Section 115B.37 — Attorney Fees.
Section 115B.39 — Landfill Cleanup Program; Establishment.
Section 115B.402 — Illegal Actions At Qualified Facilities.
Section 115B.405 — Excluded Facilities.
Section 115B.406 — Priority Qualified Facilities.
Section 115B.407 — Acquiring And Disposing Of Real Property At Priority Qualified Facilities.
Section 115B.408 — Depositing Proceeds.
Section 115B.41 — Allocating Costs; Failure To Comply.
Section 115B.412 — Program Operation.
Section 115B.414 — Third-party Claims; Mediation; Defense.
Section 115B.42 — Remediation Fund.
Section 115B.421 — Closed Landfill Investment Fund.
Section 115B.43 — Reimbursable Parties And Expenses.
Section 115B.431 — Closed Landfill Solar Redevelopment And Reuse Account.
Section 115B.441 — Insurance Claims Settlement And Recovery Process; Findings And Purpose.
Section 115B.442 — Settlement Process; Information Gathering.
Section 115B.443 — Settlement Process.
Section 115B.444 — State Action Against Insurers.
Section 115B.445 — Depositing Proceeds.
Section 115B.48 — Definitions.
Section 115B.49 — Dry Cleaner Environmental Response And Reimbursement Account.
Section 115B.491 — Dry Cleaning Facility Use Fee; Facilities To File Return.
Section 115B.492 — Allocating Payment.
Section 115B.50 — Response Actions.
Section 115B.51 — Illegal Actions.
Section 115B.52 — Water Quality And Sustainability Account.
Section 115B.53 — Water Quality And Sustainability Stakeholders.