For the purposes of this article, the following words or terms defined have the meaning ascribed to them herein:
(a) "Certificate of appropriateness" shall refer to the document evidencing approval of a project and is issued by the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant to the provisions of this article. The issuance of such a certificate shall exempt the project from the provisions of section eleven, article two, chapter twenty-four of this code and, in the case of a public service district, from the provisions of section twenty-five, article thirteen-a, chapter sixteen of this code.
(b) "Community infrastructure investment agreement" shall refer to a written agreement between a municipal utility or public service district and a person that provides for the transfer of legal title to a project facility from the person to the municipal utility or public service district.
(c) "Community infrastructure investment project" shall refer to any newly constructed or enlarged and improved project facility that may be transferred to a municipal utility or public service district without cost to the municipal utility or public service district pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(d) "Person" shall refer to any individual, partnership, firm, society, association, trust, corporation or other business entity.
(e) "Project cost" shall refer to the capital cost of proposed community infrastructure investment project facilities to be constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article. "Project cost" shall also refer to newly constructed or enlarged and improved existing project facilities. Project cost shall not refer to any of the costs or expenses of ordinary operation and maintenance of the project facilities once they become operational.
(f) "Project facilities" shall refer to wastewater treatment plants or water treatment plants constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article and include, but are not limited to, related storage buildings or structures, meters, hydrants, pump stations, force and gravity mains, transmission lines and other such fixtures related to the construction of water or sewer facilities. Project facilities shall not refer to the ordinary extension of collection and distribution lines or facilities from or to the project constructed pursuant to the provisions of this article to the property of any user of project facilities.
(g) "Public service district" shall refer to those public corporations and political subdivisions of the state created pursuant to the provisions of section two, article thirteen-a, chapter sixteen of this code.
(h) "Secretary" shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection established in section six, article one of this chapter.