§93. Recovery of site restoration costs; emergency costs

            A. If the assistant secretary undertakes restoration of an orphaned oilfield site under this Part or responds to any emergency as provided in R.S. 30:6.1, the secretary shall seek to recover all costs incurred by the secretary, assistant secretary, penalties, and other relief from any party who has operated or held a working interest in such site, or who is required by law, rules adopted by the department, or a valid order of the assistant secretary to control, clean up, close, or restore the oilfield sites or other facilities, structures, or pipelines under the commissioner's jurisdiction pursuant to R.S. 30:1 et seq. in accordance with the following:

            (1) All oilfield sites for which there is no site-specific trust fund shall be restored with monies provided by the fund. Except for the responsible party, the secretary shall not be authorized to recover restoration costs from parties which formerly operated or held a working interest in an orphaned oilfield site unless restoration costs for a particular orphaned oilfield site including support facilities exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Recovery of costs under this Paragraph shall be from the parties in inverse chronological order from the date on which the oilfield site was declared orphaned.

            (2) For each oilfield site which becomes orphaned and for which a site-specific trust fund has been created and is fully funded under the provisions of R.S. 30:88(F), recovery of costs shall be against only the responsible party, and the site shall be restored in the following manner:

            (a) Using funds in the site-specific trust fund established for the specific site.

            (b) Using funds collected from any responsible party in such site where the site-specific trust fund is insufficient.

            (c) If funds collected under Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Paragraph are insufficient to fully restore said orphaned oilfield site, the fund shall provide funds necessary to make up any deficiency.

            (3) If the oilfield site does not meet the provisions of R.S. 30:88(F) and restoration costs exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars, recovery of costs shall be from the parties in inverse chronological order from the date on which the oilfield site has been declared orphaned, except that a party shall be exempt from liability for restoration of an orphaned oilfield site as provided for in this Part in which said party had an operating or working interest if, and only if, the party complies with all of the following:

            (a) The party makes full and reasonable timely contribution to the Oilfield Site Restoration Fund.

            (b) The party creates a site-specific trust account for the restoration of the oilfield site and is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the site-specific trust account.

            (c) The party makes full disclosure in compliance with R.S. 30:88(G) in the transfer of an oilfield site.

            (d) The party complies in full with any penalty assessment which has become final under this Part for any violation under this Part.

            (e) The party is not determined to be an individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity which is an operator or working interest owner in an oilfield site determined to be orphaned.

            (f) The party is not determined to be a partnership, corporation, or other entity for which a general partner, an owner of more than twenty-five percent ownership interest, or a trustee has held a position of ownership or control in another partnership, corporation, or other entity which is an operator or working interest owner in an oilfield site determined to be orphaned.

            (g) The party complies with all reviews of site-specific trust accounts as set forth in this Part, including additional contributions thereto if deemed necessary.

            (4) For a response to any emergency as provided in R.S. 30:6.1, recovery of costs shall be against the responsible party.

            B. The secretary may file suit in a court of competent jurisdiction in East Baton Rouge Parish to recover these costs. The secretary may settle or resolve any suits, disputes, or claims for any penalty under the provisions of this Part. Costs recovered under this Subsection shall be deposited into the Oilfield Site Restoration Fund.

            Acts 1993, No. 404, §2; Acts 1995, No. 297, §1, eff. July 1, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 994, §§1, 2; Acts 2004, No. 225, §1; Acts 2019, No. 193, §1.