Sec. 21315.

(1) The department shall design and implement a program to selectively audit final assessment reports and closure reports submitted under this part. Upon receipt of a final assessment report or closure report, the department shall have 90 days to determine whether it will audit the report and inform the owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a of its intention to audit the submitted report within 7 days of the determination. If the department does not inform the owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a of its intention to audit the report within the required time limits, the department shall not audit the report. If the department determines that it will conduct an audit, the audit shall be completed within 180 days of the submission. The department shall inform the owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a in writing of the results of the audit within 14 days of the completion of the audit. All audits shall be conducted based on the standards, criteria, and procedures in effect at the time the final assessment report or closure report was submitted.

(2) The department shall have until January 27, 2013 to selectively audit final assessment reports or closure reports that were submitted on or after November 1, 2011 but not later than July 1, 2012.

(3) If the department conducts an audit, the results of the audit shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny the final assessment report or closure report or shall notify the owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a that the report does not contain sufficient information for the department to make a decision. If the department's response is that the report does not include sufficient information, the department shall identify the information that is required for the department to make a decision. If a report is approved with conditions, the department's approval shall state with specificity the conditions of the approval.

(4) If the department does not perform an audit and provide a written response in accordance with subsection (1) to a final assessment report or closure report submitted after June 15, 2012, the report is considered approved. An owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a may request written confirmation from the department that the report is considered approved under this section, and the department shall provide written confirmation within 14 days of the request.

(5) Any time frame required by this section may be extended by mutual agreement of the department and an owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a submitting a final assessment or closure report. An agreement extending a time frame shall be in writing.

(6) If an audit conducted under this section does not confirm that corrective action has been conducted in compliance with this part or does not confirm that applicable RBSLs or SSTLs have been met, the department shall include both of the following in the written response as required in subsection (1):

(a) The specific deficiencies and the section or sections of this part or rules applicable to this part or applicable RBCA standard that support the department's conclusion of noncompliance or that applicable RBSLs or SSTLs have not been met.

(b) Recommendations about corrective actions or documentation that may address the deficiencies identified under subsection (6)(a).

(7) If the department denies a final assessment report or closure report under this section, an owner or operator that is liable under section 21323a shall either revise and resubmit the report for approval, submit a petition for review of scientific or technical disputes to the response activity review panel pursuant to section 20114e and pay a fee in the amount of $300.00 in lieu of the $3,500.00 fee set forth in section 20114e(7), or submit a petition to the department's office of administrative hearings for a contested case hearing pursuant to section 21332.

(8) Notwithstanding section 21312a, after conducting an audit under this section, the department may issue a closure letter for any site that meets the applicable RBSL or SSTL pursuant to section 21304a.

(9) The department shall only audit a report required under this part 1 time. If the report does not contain sufficient information for the department to make a decision or the department's audit identifies deficiencies as described in subsection (6), the department may audit a revised report if sufficient information is provided for the department to make a decision or, to evaluate whether the identified deficiencies have been corrected, which shall be completed within 90 days of the revised report's submission to the department.

History: 1994, Act 451, Eff. Mar. 30, 1995 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 22, Imd. Eff. Apr. 13, 1995 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 116, Imd. Eff. Mar. 6, 1996 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 108, Imd. Eff. May 1, 2012 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 446, Imd. Eff. Dec. 27, 2012 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA