a. It is the intent of the Legislature that the program established by this act for the regulation of underground storage tanks constitute the only program regulating underground storage tanks in this State. To this end no municipality, county, or political subdivision thereof shall enact any law or ordinance regulating underground storage tanks, and, further, the enactment of this act shall supersede any law or ordinance regulating underground storage tanks enacted by a municipality, county or political subdivision thereof prior to the enactment of this act.

b. However, the department shall develop criteria for determining in which case a municipal ordinance more stringent than the provisions of this act is warranted. If the conditions in the municipality are deemed to meet the criteria developed pursuant to this subsection, the ordinance is hereby deemed to be effective and not preempted and the municipality may enforce and administer its provisions. The department shall have 180 days to determine whether an ordinance meets the criteria developed pursuant to this section.

c. Any municipality, county or political subdivision may petition the department for a modification of any rule adopted under this act. The petition shall be forwarded to the department together with a written statement setting forth all provisions of the municipal ordinance which differ from the criteria identified, the reasons for the differences, and all supporting facts and data. The department shall evaluate the petition using the criteria adopted under subsection b. of this section and accept or reject the petition in a written statement which shall include the basis for the department’s determination.

When the department determines that a rule change is justified it shall evaluate the applicability of that rule change on a regional or areawide basis and modify the rules to provide areawide requirements as appropriate.

L. 1986, c. 102, s. 16, eff. Sept. 3, 1986.