If the commissioner finds that any person has established a facility or created a condition before or after June 25, 1985, or is maintaining any facility or condition which reasonably can be expected to create a source of pollution to the waters of the state, he may issue an order to such person to take the necessary steps to correct such potential source of pollution. Any person who receives an order pursuant to this section shall have the right to a hearing and an appeal in the same manner as is provided in sections 22a-436 and 22a-437. If the commissioner finds that the recipient of any such order fails to comply therewith, he may request the Attorney General to bring an action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to enjoin such person from maintaining such potential source of pollution to the waters of the state or to take the necessary steps to correct such potential source of pollution. All actions brought by the Attorney General pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have precedence in the order of trial as provided in section 52-191. An innocent landowner, as defined in section 22a-452d, shall not be held liable, except through imposition of a lien against the contaminated real estate under section 22a-452a, for any order issued under this section on or before August 1, 1990, which order is subject to appeal as of July 6, 1995, and, after July 1, 1996, for any order issued under this section after July 1, 1996.

(1967, P.A. 57, S. 11; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 87; P.A. 73-665, S. 12, 17; P.A. 78-280, S. 6, 127; P.A. 84-239, S. 1; P.A. 85-392, S. 4, 5; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-190, S. 9, 17; 95-218, S. 18, 24; 95-220, S. 4–6.)

History: 1971 act replaced references to water resources commission with references to environmental protection commissioner; P.A. 73-665 made commissioner's issuance of orders to correct potential pollution sources discretionary rather than mandatory, substituting “may” for “shall”; P.A. 78-280 replaced Hartford county with judicial district of Hartford-New Britain; Sec. 25-54k transferred to Sec. 22a-432 in 1983; P.A. 84-239 authorized the commissioner to issue orders to persons establishing a facility or creating a condition which may cause pollution and authorized court action to require correction of potential sources of pollution; P.A. 85-392 made provisions applicable to conditions “before or after June 25, 1985”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-190 provided a limitation on liability under this section for innocent landowners, effective June 29, 1995; P.A. 95-218 confined the liability protection for innocent landowners to orders issued before July 1, 1990, or after July 1, 1996, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995.

Annotations to former section 25-54k:

Joinder of necessary parties to injunctive action discussed. 180 C. 568.

Cited. 32 CS 121.

Annotations to present section:

Cited. 204 C. 38. Mere ownership of real property is sufficient basis for imposing liability under statute. 226 C. 358. Cited. 236 C. 722. Officer of a corporation personally liable for abatement of a violation of section when the officer is in a position of responsibility that allows him to influence corporate policies and activities, there is a nexus between his actions or inactions in that position and the violation such that the officer influenced the corporate actions constituting the violation, and his actions or inactions resulted in the violation. 256 C. 602.

Cited. 21 CA 91; 41 CA 89; Id., 120; 42 CA 563. Commissioner may impose liability under section on a landowner who takes title to property with notice that it is polluted, and then maintains the pollution by failing to abate it; owner with notice of pollution on his or her property may not escape liability for its abatement merely by leasing it to a tenant. 161 CA 837.