(a)  Except as provided in Section 33459.7, if a redevelopment agency undertakes action to remedy or remove, or to require others to remedy or remove, including compelling a responsible party through a civil action, to remedy or remove a release of hazardous substance, any responsible party or parties shall be liable to the redevelopment agency for the costs incurred in the action. An agency may not recover the costs of goods and services that were not procured in accordance with applicable procurement procedures. The amount of the costs shall include the interest on the costs accrued from the date of expenditure and reasonable attorney’s fees and shall be recoverable in a civil action. Interest shall be calculated based on the average annual rate of return on an agency’s investment of surplus funds for the fiscal year in which costs were incurred.

(b)  The only defenses available to a responsible party shall be the defenses specified in subdivision (b) of Section 25323.5.

(c)  An agency may recover any costs incurred to develop and to implement a cleanup or remedial action plan approved pursuant to Sections 33459.1 and 33459.3, to the same extent the department is authorized to recover those costs. The scope and standard of liability for cost recovery pursuant to this section shall be the scope and standard of liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.) as that act would apply to the department; provided, however, that any reference to hazardous substance therein shall be deemed to refer to hazardous substance as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 33459.

(d)  An action for recovery of costs of a remedy or removal undertaken by a redevelopment agency under this section shall be commenced within three years after completion of the remedy or removal.

(e)  The action to recover costs provided by this section is in addition to, and is not to be construed as restricting, any other cause of action available to a redevelopment agency.

(f)  Except as provided in subdivision (m) of Section 33459.3, notwithstanding any other provision of state law or policy, an agency that undertakes and completes a remedial action, or otherwise causes a remedial action to be undertaken and completed pursuant to Sections 33459.1 and 33459.3, shall not be liable based on its ownership of property after a release occurred, for any costs that any responsible party for that release incurs to investigate or remediate the release or to compensate others for the effects of that release.

(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 438, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1999.)