Sec. 21515.

(1) To receive money from the authority for corrective action, an owner or operator that has received notice from the administrator that its claim has been approved pursuant to section 21510(8) shall follow the procedures outlined in this section and shall submit work invoices to the administrator containing information required by the administrator relevant to determining compliance with this part.

(2) Within 45 days of receipt of work invoices submitted pursuant to subsection (1) using forms created by the authority, the administrator shall make all of the following determinations:

(a) Whether the owner or operator is eligible to receive funding under this part.

(b) Whether the work performed or proposed to be performed is consistent with part 213, and whether those activities are consistent with achieving site closure.

(c) Whether the owner or operator has paid the deductible amount.

(d) Whether the corrective action performed is reasonable and necessary considering conditions at the site of the release.

(e) Whether the cost of performing the corrective action work is at or below the allowable reimbursement amount in the schedule of costs or, if the corrective action work is not a listed item, whether the cost is reasonable and necessary, and whether the cost was based upon a competitive bidding process established by the authority.

(3) The administrator may consult with the department and the department of licensing and regulatory affairs to make the determination required in subsection (2).

(4) If the administrator determines under subsection (2) that the work invoice is reasonable and necessary considering conditions at the site of the release and reasonable in terms of cost and the owner or operator is eligible for funding under this part, the administrator shall approve the work invoice and notify the owner or operator that submitted the work invoice of the approval. If the administrator determines that the work described on the work invoices submitted was not reasonable and necessary or the cost of the work is not reasonable, or that the owner or operator is not eligible for funding under this part, the administrator shall deny the work invoice or any portion of the work invoice submitted and give notice of the denial to the owner or operator that submitted the work invoice.

(5) The owner or operator may submit work invoices to the administrator that are related to a claim only after initial approval of the claim under section 21510(8) and if the aggregate amount of work invoices in the submission is $5,000.00 or more. This limitation does not apply to the final work invoice submission related to the approved claim.

(6) If the administrator determines that a work invoice does not meet the requirements of subsection (2) or (5), the administrator shall deny reimbursement for the work invoice and give written notice of the denial to the owner or operator who submitted the work invoice.

(7) The administrator shall approve a reimbursement for a work invoice that was submitted by an owner or operator for corrective action taken if the work invoice meets the requirements of this part for an approved claim and an approved work invoice.

(8) Except as provided in subsection (9) and section 21519, the authority shall make a joint payment to the owner or operator and the contractor that performed the work listed in the approved work invoices within 45 days after the date of the administrator's approval under subsection (4) if sufficient money exists in the fund. Once payment has been made under this section, the authority is not liable for any claim on the basis of that payment.

(9) The authority may withhold partial payment of money on payment vouchers if there is reasonable cause to suspect that there are violations of section 21548 or if necessary to assure acceptable completion of the proposed work.

(10) The authority shall prepare and make available to owners and operators standardized claim and work invoice forms.

History: 1994, Act 451, Eff. Mar. 30, 1995 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 269, Imd. Eff. Jan. 8, 1996 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 181, Imd. Eff. May 3, 1996 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 113, Imd. Eff. May 1, 2012 ;-- Am. 2014, Act 416, Imd. Eff. Dec. 30, 2014 ;-- Am. 2016, Act 380, Eff. Mar. 22, 2017 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA