Sec. 4. The recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly shall be construed as a recodification of prior environmental law. Except as provided in section 1(1) and 1(2) of this chapter, if the literal meaning of the recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly would result in a substantive change in the prior environmental law, the difference shall be construed as a typographical, spelling, or other clerical error that must be corrected by:

(1) inserting, deleting, or substituting words, punctuation, or other matters of style in the recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly; and

(2) using any other rule of statutory construction;

as necessary or appropriate to apply the recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly in a manner that does not result in a substantive change in the law. The principle of statutory construction that a court must apply the literal meaning of an act if the literal meaning of the act is unambiguous does not apply to the recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly to the extent that the recodification act of the 1996 regular session of the general assembly is not substantively identical to the prior environmental law.

[1996 Recodification Citations: New.]

As added by P.L.1-1996, SEC.2.