Sec. 14801.

As used in this part:

(a) “Environmental audit” means a voluntary and internal evaluation conducted on or after the effective date of this part of 1 or more facilities or an activity at 1 or more facilities regulated under state, federal, regional, or local laws or ordinances, or of environmental management systems or processes related to the facilities or activity, or of a previously corrected specific instance of noncompliance, that is designed to identify historical or current noncompliance and prevent noncompliance or improve compliance with 1 or more of those laws, or to identify an environmental hazard, contamination, or other adverse environmental condition, or to improve an environmental management system or process. Once initiated, an audit shall be completed within a reasonable time, not to exceed 6 months, unless a written request for an extension is approved by the director on reasonable grounds.

(b) “Environmental audit report” means a document or a set of documents, each labeled at the time it is created “environmental audit report: privileged document” and created as a result of an environmental audit. An environmental audit report shall include supporting information. Supporting information may include field notes, records of observations, findings, opinions, suggestions, conclusions, drafts, memoranda, follow-up reports, drawings, photographs, computer generated or electronically recorded information, maps, charts, graphs, and surveys, if the supporting information or documents are created or prepared for the primary purpose and in the course of or as a result of an environmental audit. An environmental audit report may also include an implementation plan that addresses correcting past noncompliance, improving current compliance, improving an environmental management system, and preventing future noncompliance, as appropriate.

(c) “Privilege” means the privilege provided to an environmental audit report as provided in this part.

History: Add. 1996, Act 132, Imd. Eff. Mar. 18, 1996 ;-- Am. 1997, Act 133, Imd. Eff. Nov. 14, 1997 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA