A. Unless provided otherwise in this section, all costs in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) that are necessary to perform a minimum site assessment in accordance with the rules of the board shall be paid from the corrective action fund.

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B. Payment of the cost of corrective action, including the cost of a minimum site assessment, shall be made by the department following application and proper documentation of the costs and in accordance with rules adopted by the secretary establishing eligible and ineligible costs. Ineligible costs include attorney fees, repair or upgrade of tanks, loss of revenue and costs of monitoring a contractor.

C. The department shall adopt rules to provide for payments from the corrective action fund, to the extent that money is available in the fund, to persons who cannot afford to pay all or a portion of the initial ten thousand dollar ($10,000) cost of a minimum site assessment otherwise required in this section. The department shall develop a financial assistance means test, including a sliding scale of financial relief as the department deems appropriate, that allows some or all of the minimum site assessment costs to be paid from the corrective action fund.

D. All department determinations concerning the manner of payment, compliance and cost eligibility shall be made in accordance with department rules.

E. If the owner or operator is in compliance with the requirements of Subsection B of Section 74-6B-8 N.M. Stat. Ann., payment of costs from the corrective action fund shall occur not later than sixty days after the submission of the application and proper documentation of costs by the owner or operator, except as provided in Section 74-6B- 14 NMSA 1978.

F. Before any payment is made for a corrective action pursuant to this section to or on behalf of an owner or operator, payment shall first be made to reimburse the federal leaking underground storage tank trust fund for any costs incurred for that corrective action.

G. Counties and municipalities are exempt from the requirements to pay any portion of the initial ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a minimum site assessment.