415 ILCS 5/22.2d

(415 ILCS 5/22.2d)

Sec. 22.2d. Authority of Director to issue orders.

(a) The purpose of this Section is to allow the Director to quickly and effectively respond to a release or substantial threat of a release of a hazardous substance, pesticide, or petroleum for which the Agency is required to give notice under Section 25d-3(a) of this Act by authorizing the Director to issue orders, unilaterally or on consent, requiring appropriate response actions and by providing for the exclusive administrative and judicial review of these orders. This Section is also intended to allow persons subject to an order under this Section to recover the costs of complying with the order if it is overturned or if they remediate the share of a release or threat of a release for which a bankrupt or insolvent party is liable under this Act.

(b) In addition to any other action taken by federal, State, or local government, for any release or substantial threat of release for which the Agency is required to give notice under Section 25d-3(a) of this Act, the Director may issue to any person who is potentially liable under this Act for the release or substantial threat of release any order that may be necessary to protect the public health and welfare and the environment.

(1) Any order issued under this Section shall require response actions consistent with the federal regulations and amendments thereto promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Section 105 of CERCLA, as amended, except that the remediation objectives for response actions ordered under this Section shall be determined in accordance with the risk-based remediation objectives adopted by the Board under Title XVII of this Act.

(2) Before the Director issues any order under this Section, the Agency shall send a Special Notice Letter to all persons identified by the Agency as potentially liable under this Act for the release or threat of release. This Special Notice Letter to the recipients shall include at a minimum the following information:

(A) that the Agency believes the recipient may be liable under the Act for responding to the release or threat of a release;

(B) the reasons why the Agency believes the recipient may be liable under the Act for the release or threat of a release; and

(C) the period of time, not less than 30 days from the date of issuance of the Special Notice Letter, during which the Agency is ready to negotiate with the recipient regarding their response to the release or threat of a release.

(3) To encourage the prompt negotiation of a settlement agreement or an order on consent with a recipient of a Special Notice Letter required under this Section, the Director shall not issue any unilateral order under this Section to the recipient during the 30 days immediately following the date of issuance of the Special Notice Letter.

(c) (1) The recipient of a unilateral order issued by the Director under this Section may petition the Board for a hearing on the order within 35 days after being served with the order. The Board shall take final action on the petition within 60 days after the date the petition is filed with the Board unless all parties to the proceeding agree to the extension. If necessary to expedite the hearing and decision, the Board may hold special meetings of the Board and may provide for alternative public notice of the hearing and meeting, other than as otherwise required by law. In any hearing on the order the Agency shall have the burden of proof to establish that the petitioner is liable under this Act for the release or threat of release and that the actions required by the order are consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section. The Board shall sustain the order if the petitioner is liable under this Act for the release or threat of release and to the extent the actions ordered are consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section and are not otherwise unreasonable under the circumstances.

(A) The order issued by the Agency shall remain in full force and effect pending the Board's final action on the petition for review of the order, provided that the Board may grant a stay of all or a portion of the order if it finds that (i) there is a substantial likelihood that the petitioner is not liable under this Act for the release or threat of release or (ii) there is a substantial likelihood that the actions required by the order are not consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section and that the harm to the public from a stay of the order will be outweighed by the harm to the petitioner if a stay is not granted. Any stay granted by the Board under this subsection (c)(1)(A) shall expire upon the Board's issuance of its final action on the petition for review of the order.

(B) If the Board finds that the petitioner is not liable under this Act for the release or threat of release it may authorize the payment of (i) all reasonable response costs incurred by the petitioner to comply with the order if it finds the petitioner's actions were consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section and (ii) the petitioner's reasonable and appropriate costs, fees, and expenses incurred in petitioning the Board for review of the order, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses.

(2) Any party to a Board hearing under this subsection (c) may obtain judicial review, by filing a petition for review within 35 days from the date that a copy of the Board's final action sought to be reviewed was served upon the party affected by the final Board action complained of, under the provisions of the Administrative Review Law and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, except that the review shall be afforded in the appellate court for the district in which the cause of action arose and not in the circuit court. The appellate court shall retain jurisdiction during the pendency of any further action conducted by the Board under an order by the appellate court. The appellate court shall have jurisdiction to review all issues of law and fact presented upon appeal.

(A) The order issued by the Agency shall remain in full force and effect pending the appellate court's ruling on the order, provided that the appellate court may grant a stay of all or a portion of the order if it finds that (i) there is a substantial likelihood that the petitioner is not liable under this Act for the release or threat of release or (ii) there is a substantial likelihood that the actions required by the order are not consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section and that the harm to the public from a stay of the order will be outweighed by the harm to the petitioner if a stay is not granted. Any stay granted by the appellate court under this subsection (c)(2)(A) shall expire upon the issuance of the appellate court's ruling on the appeal of the Board's final action.

(B) If the appellate court finds that the petitioner is not liable under this Act for the release or threat of release it may authorize the payment of (i) all reasonable response costs incurred by the petitioner to comply with the order if it finds that the petitioner's actions were consistent with the requirements of subsection (b)(1) of this Section and (ii) the petitioner's reasonable and appropriate costs, fees, and expenses incurred in petitioning the Appellate Court for review of the order, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses.

(d) Any person who receives and complies with the terms of any order issued under this Section may, within 60 days after completion of the required action, petition the Director for reimbursement for the reasonable costs of that action, plus interest, subject to all of the following terms and conditions:

(1) The interest payable under this subsection accrues on the amounts expended from the date of expenditure to the date of payment of reimbursement at the rate set forth in Section 3-2 of the Uniform Penalty and Interest Act.

(2) If the Director refuses to grant all or part of a petition made under this subsection, the petitioner may, within 35 days after receipt of the refusal, file a petition with the Board seeking reimbursement.

(3) To obtain reimbursement, the petitioner must establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that:

(A) the only costs for which the petitioner seeks reimbursement are costs incurred by the petitioner in remediating the share of a release or threat of a release for which a bankrupt or insolvent party is liable under this Act, the costs of the share are a fair and accurate apportionment among the persons potentially liable under this Act for the release or threat of a release, and the bankrupt or insolvent party failed to pay the costs of the share; and

(B) the petitioner's response actions were consistent with the federal regulations and amendments thereto promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Section 105 of CERCLA, as amended, except that the remediation objectives for response actions shall be determined in accordance with the risk-based remediation objectives adopted by the Board under Title XVII of this Act; and

(C) the costs for which the petitioner seeks reimbursement are reasonable in light of the action required by the relevant order.

(4) Reimbursement awarded by the Board under item (3) of subsection (d) may include appropriate costs, fees, and other expenses incurred in petitioning the Director or Board for reimbursement under subsection (d), including, but not limited to, reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys.

(5) Costs paid to a petitioner under a policy of insurance, another written agreement, or a court order are not eligible for payment under this subsection (d). A petitioner who receives payment under a policy of insurance, another written agreement, or a court order shall reimburse the State to the extent that such payment covers costs for which payment was received under this subsection (d). Any monies received by the State under this item (5) shall be deposited into the Hazardous Waste Fund.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this Section, no court nor the Board has jurisdiction to review any order issued under this Section or any administrative or judicial action related to the order.

(f) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this Section, any person may seek contribution from any other person who is liable for the costs of response actions under this Section. In resolving contribution claims, the Board or court may allocate response costs among liable parties using such equitable factors as the court determines are appropriate.

(g) A person who has complied with an order under this Section and has resolved their liability under this Act with respect to the release or threat of a release shall not be liable for claims for contribution relating to the release or threat of a release.

(h) The provisions of Section 58.9 of this Act do not apply to any action taken under this Section.

(i) This Section does not apply to releases or threats of releases from underground storage tanks subject to Title XVI of this Act. Orders issued by the Agency in response to such releases or threats of releases shall be issued under Section 57.12(d) of this Act instead of this Section, and the costs of complying with said orders shall be reimbursed in accordance with Title XVI of this Act instead of this Section.

(j) Any person who, without sufficient cause, willfully violates or fails or refuses to comply with any order issued under this Section is in violation of this Act.

(k) The Agency may adopt rules as necessary for the implementation of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-314, eff. 7-25-05.)