415 ILCS 5/58.14a

(415 ILCS 5/58.14a)

Sec. 58.14a. River Edge Redevelopment Zone Site Remediation Tax Credit Review.

(a) Prior to applying for the River Edge Redevelopment Zone site remediation tax credit under subsection (n) of Section 201 of the Illinois Income Tax Act, a Remediation Applicant must first submit to the Agency an application for review of remediation costs. The Agency shall review the application. The application and review process must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of this Section and the rules adopted under subsection (g). A preliminary review of the estimated remediation costs for development and implementation of the Remedial Action Plan may be obtained in accordance with subsection (d).

(b) No application for review may be submitted until a No Further Remediation Letter has been issued by the Agency and recorded in the chain of title for the site in accordance with Section 58.10. The Agency shall review the application to determine whether the costs submitted are remediation costs and whether the costs incurred are reasonable. The application must be on forms prescribed and provided by the Agency. At a minimum, the application must include the following:

(1) information identifying the Remediation Applicant, the site for which the tax credit is being sought, and the date of acceptance of the site into the Site Remediation Program;

(2) a copy of the No Further Remediation Letter with official verification that the letter has been recorded in the chain of title for the site and a demonstration that the site for which the application is submitted is the same site as the one for which the No Further Remediation Letter is issued;

(3) a demonstration that the release of the regulated substances of concern for which the No Further Remediation Letter was issued were not caused or contributed to in any material respect by the Remediation Applicant. Determinations as to credit availability shall be made consistent with the Pollution Control Board rules for the administration and enforcement of Section 58.9 of this Act;

(4) an itemization and documentation, including receipts, of the remediation costs incurred;

(5) a demonstration that the costs incurred are remediation costs as defined in this Act and its rules;

(6) a demonstration that the costs submitted for review were incurred by the Remediation Applicant who received the No Further Remediation Letter;

(7) an application fee in the amount set forth in subsection (e) for each site for which review of remediation costs is requested and, if applicable, certification from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity that the site is located in a River Edge Redevelopment Zone; and

(8) any other information deemed appropriate by the Agency.

(c) Within 60 days after receipt by the Agency of an application meeting the requirements of subsection (b), the Agency shall issue a letter to the applicant approving, disapproving, or modifying the remediation costs submitted in the application. If the remediation costs are approved as submitted, then the Agency's letter must state the amount of the remediation costs to be applied toward the River Edge Redevelopment Zone site remediation tax credit. If an application is disapproved or approved with modification of remediation costs, then the Agency's letter must set forth the reasons for the disapproval or modification and must state the amount of the remediation costs, if any, to be applied toward the River Edge Redevelopment Zone site remediation tax credit.

If a preliminary review of a budget plan has been obtained under subsection (d), then the Remediation Applicant may submit, with the application and supporting documentation under subsection (b), a copy of the Agency's final determination accompanied by a certification that the actual remediation costs incurred for the development and implementation of the Remedial Action Plan are equal to or less than the costs approved in the Agency's final determination on the budget plan. The certification must be signed by the Remediation Applicant and notarized. Based on that submission, the Agency is not required to conduct further review of the costs incurred for development and implementation of the Remedial Action Plan, and it may approve the costs as submitted. Within 35 days after the receipt of an Agency letter disapproving or modifying an application for approval of remediation costs, the Remediation Applicant may appeal the Agency's decision to the Board in the manner provided for the review of permits under Section 40 of this Act.

(d) A Remediation Applicant may obtain a preliminary review of estimated remediation costs for the development and implementation of the Remedial Action Plan by submitting a budget plan along with the Remedial Action Plan. The budget plan must be set forth on forms prescribed and provided by the Agency and must include, without limitation, line-item estimates of the costs associated with each line item (such as personnel, equipment, and materials) that the Remediation Applicant anticipates will be incurred for the development and implementation of the Remedial Action Plan. The Agency shall review the budget plan along with the Remedial Action Plan to determine whether the estimated costs submitted are remediation costs and whether the costs estimated for the activities are reasonable.

If the Remedial Action Plan is amended by the Remediation Applicant or as a result of Agency action, then the corresponding budget plan must be revised accordingly and resubmitted for Agency review.

The budget plan must be accompanied by the applicable fee as set forth in subsection (e).

The submittal of a budget plan is deemed to be an automatic 60-day waiver of the Remedial Action Plan review deadlines set forth in this Section and its rules.

Within the applicable period of review, the Agency shall issue a letter to the Remediation Applicant approving, disapproving, or modifying the estimated remediation costs submitted in the budget plan. If a budget plan is disapproved or approved with modification of estimated remediation costs, then the Agency's letter must set forth the reasons for the disapproval or modification.

Within 35 days after receipt of an Agency letter disapproving or modifying a budget plan, the Remediation Applicant may appeal the Agency's decision to the Board in the manner provided for the review of permits under Section 40 of this Act.

(e) Any fee for a review conducted under this Section is in addition to any other fees or payments for Agency services rendered under the Site Remediation Program. The fees under this Section are as follows:

(1) the fee for an application for review of remediation costs is $250 for each site reviewed; and

(2) there is no fee for the review of the budget plan submitted under subsection (d).

The application fee must be made payable to the State of Illinois, for deposit into the Hazardous Waste Fund. Pursuant to appropriation, the Agency shall use the fees collected under this subsection for development and administration of the review program.

(f) The Agency has the authority to enter into any contracts or agreements that may be necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities under this Section.

(g) The Agency shall adopt rules prescribing procedures and standards for its administration of this Section. Prior to the effective date of rules adopted under this Section, the Agency may conduct reviews of applications under this Section. The Agency may publish informal guidelines concerning this Section to provide guidance.

(Source: P.A. 102-444, eff. 8-20-21.)