Montana Code Annotated
Part 7. Remedial Action Upon Release of Hazardous Substance
75-10-721. Degree of cleanup required -- permit exemption -- financial assurance

75-10-721. Degree of cleanup required -- permit exemption -- financial assurance. (1) A remedial action performed under this part or a voluntary cleanup under 75-10-730 through 75-10-738 must attain a degree of cleanup of the hazardous or deleterious substance and control of a threatened release or further release of that substance that assures protection of public health, safety, and welfare and of the environment.
(2) In approving or carrying out remedial actions performed under this part, the department:
(a) except as provided in subsection (4), shall require cleanup consistent with applicable state or federal environmental requirements, criteria, or limitations;
(b) may consider substantive state or federal environmental requirements, criteria, or limitations that are relevant to the site conditions; and
(c) shall select remedial actions, considering present and reasonably anticipated future uses, giving due consideration to institutional controls, that:
(i) demonstrate acceptable mitigation of exposure to risks to the public health, safety, and welfare and the environment;
(ii) are effective and reliable in the short term and the long term;
(iii) are technically practicable and implementable;
(iv) use treatment technologies or resource recovery technologies if practicable, giving due consideration to engineering controls; and
(v) are cost-effective.
(3) In selecting remedial actions, the department shall consider the acceptability of the actions to the affected community, as indicated by community members and the local government.
(4) The department may select a remedial action that does not meet an applicable state environmental requirement, criteria, or limitation under any one of the following circumstances:
(a) The remedial action is an interim measure and will become part of a total remedial action that will attain the applicable requirement, criteria, or limitation.
(b) Compliance with the applicable requirement, criteria, or limitation will result in greater risk to human health and the environment than other remedial action alternatives.
(c) Compliance with the applicable requirement, criteria, or limitation is technically impracticable from an engineering perspective.
(d) The remedial action will attain a standard of performance that is equivalent to that required under the otherwise applicable requirement, criteria, or limitation through use of another method or approach.
(e) Compliance with the requirement would not be cost-effective.
(5) For purposes of this section, cost-effectiveness must be determined through an analysis of incremental costs and incremental risk reduction and other benefits of alternatives considered, taking into account the total anticipated short-term and long-term costs of remedial action alternatives considered, including the total anticipated cost of operation and maintenance activities.
(6) The department may exempt any portion of a remedial action that is conducted entirely on site from a state or local permit that would, in the absence of the remedial action, be required if the remedial action is carried out in accordance with the standards established under this section and this part.
(7) The department may require financial assurance from a liable person in an amount that the department determines will ensure the long-term operation and maintenance of the remedial action site. The liable person shall provide the financial assurance by any one method or combination of methods satisfactory to the department, including but not limited to insurance, guarantee, performance or other surety bond, letter of credit, qualification as a self-insurer, or other demonstration of financial capability.
History: En. Sec. 13, Ch. 709, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 752, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 584, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 437, L. 1999.

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