Connecticut General Statutes 22a-133u – Uses of Special Contaminated Property Remediation and Insurance Fund. Repayment of funds. Liens. Criteria
(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may use any funds in the Special Contaminated Property Remediation and Insurance Fund established in section 22a-133t other than any funds which are necessary to carry out any other responsibility of said commissioner under this section, for (1) removal or mitigation of a spill, as defined in section 22a-452c, upon or into land or waters of the state if the owner of the property associated with such spill is found to be an innocent landowner, as defined in section 22a-452d, and for administrative costs related to such removal or mitigation, or (2) administrative costs related to the remediation of a property for which a loan was made under subsection (b) of this section provided not more than five thousand dollars shall be disbursed from the fund for such purpose. Said commissioner may use any funds received in connection with the issuance of a covenant not to sue or a settlement by said commissioner of a claim related to contaminated real property, or any funds received pursuant to section 22a-16a, for removal or mitigation of a spill, as defined in section 22a-452c, for which the owner of the property associated with such spill would be liable except for a covenant not to sue entered into pursuant to sections 22a-133aa or 22a-133bb and for administrative costs related to such removal or mitigation. Said commissioner may use any funds received pursuant to section 22a-134e and subsection (c) of section 22a-133aa, for expenses related to the administration of sections 22a-134 to 22a-134e, inclusive, and for expenses related to administration of sections 22a-133x, 22a-133y, 22a-133aa and 22a-133bb.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 22a-133u
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. See Connecticut General Statutes 22a-115
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
- Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Municipality: means a city, town or borough of the state. See Connecticut General Statutes 22a-115
- Person: means any individual, corporation, nonstock corporation, limited liability company, joint venture, public benefit corporation, partnership, association, trust or estate, the state and its agencies and political subdivisions, the federal government and its agencies, and any other entity, public or private, however organized. See Connecticut General Statutes 22a-115
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
(b) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may use any funds deposited into the Special Contaminated Property Remediation and Insurance Fund pursuant to section 3 of public act 96-250* for (1) loans to municipalities, individuals or firms for Phase II environmental site assessments, Phase III investigations of real property or for any costs of demolition, including related lead and asbestos removal or abatement costs or costs related to the remediation of environmental pollution, undertaken to prepare contaminated real property for development subsequent to any Phase III investigation, (2) expenses related to administration of this subsection provided such expenses may not exceed one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars per year, (3) funding the remedial action and redevelopment municipal grant program established pursuant to section 32-763, and (4) funding the targeted brownfield development loan program developed pursuant to section 32-765.
(c) Any person, firm, corporation or municipality which has received funds under subsection (b) of this section shall repay such funds to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, according to a schedule and terms which said commissioner deems appropriate. The principal amount of the loan shall be due at a time deemed appropriate by the commissioner as follows: (1) Upon the sale of the property or lease of the property, in whole or in part, which is the subject of such evaluation or demolition; (2) upon the sale or release of a municipality’s liens on such property; or (3) upon the approval by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection of a final remedial action report submitted in accordance with section 22a-133y. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may require repayment of the loan amortized over a period of no more than five years from the sale of the property, sale of the lien or approval by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection of the final remedial action report. No repayment shall be required, other than interest for the period that the loan is outstanding, if completion of remediation of environmental pollution at or on the property, or the sale or lease of such property, is economically infeasible due to the cost of such remediation. The commissioner may require partial repayment of the loan only if partial repayment is economically feasible. Any funds received by said commissioner as repayment under this subsection shall be deposited into the brownfield remediation and development account. The terms of any loan agreement entered into by said commissioner under said subsection may provide for the collection of interest on the loan which may vary according to whether the applicant is a municipality or a private entity and the duration of the repayment schedule for such loan provided the interest cost to the borrower provided for in such agreement shall not exceed the interest cost to the state on borrowings of like terms.
(d) The amount of any funds received under subsection (b) of this section by any entity other than a municipality shall be a lien against the real property for which the funds were disbursed. A lien pursuant to this section shall not be effective unless (1) a certificate of lien is filed in the land records of each town in which the real estate is located, describing the real estate, the amount of the lien, the name of the owner as grantor, and (2) the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development mails a copy of the certificate to such persons and to all other persons of record holding an interest in such real estate over which the commissioner’s lien is entitled to priority. Any action for the foreclosure of such lien shall be brought by the Attorney General in the name of the state in the superior court for the judicial district in which the property subject to such lien is situated, or, if such property is located in two or more judicial districts, in the superior court for any one such judicial district, and the court may limit the time for redemption or order the sale of such property or make such other or further decree as it judges equitable.
(e) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall establish criteria for (1) making disbursements under subsection (b) of this section which criteria shall include, but not be limited to, anticipated commercial value of the property, potential tax revenue to the relevant municipality, environmental or public health risk posed by the spill, potential community or economic development benefit to the relevant municipality, the status of any loans previously made under said subsection to the municipality and potential for restoration of an abandoned property, and (2) cancelling loans related to a property at which the borrower of the loan elects not to proceed with remediation. Such criteria shall further set forth the procedure for applying for a loan from the fund and the procedure to be used for evaluation of such an application. In approving any loan under said subsection to any person, firm or corporation, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may consider the loan applicant’s credit history and economic solvency, any plan of such applicant for business development, municipal support for the proposed use of the property and any existing indebtedness of such applicant to any entity.