This section requires contamination discoveries during certain site rehabilitation work to be reported to the department, with follow-up notice duties for the department and a rulemaking role for the department.
376.30702 Contamination notification.—(1) FINDINGS; INTENT; APPLICABILITY.—The Legislature finds and declares that when contamination is discovered by any person as a result of site rehabilitation activities conducted pursuant to the risk-based corrective action provisions found in s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701, it is in the public’s best interest that potentially affected persons be notified of the existence of such contamination. Therefore, persons discovering such contamination shall notify the department of such discovery in accordance with the requirements of this section, and the department shall be responsible for notifying the affected public. The Legislature intends for the provisions of this section to govern the notice requirements for early notification of the discovery of contamination. (2) INITIAL NOTICE OF CONTAMINATION BEYOND PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.—If at any time during site rehabilitation conducted pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701 the person responsible for site rehabilitation, the person’s authorized agent, or another representative of the person discovers from laboratory analytical results that comply with appropriate quality assurance protocols specified in department rules that contamination as defined in applicable department rules exists in any medium beyond the boundaries of the property at which site rehabilitation was initiated pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701, the person responsible for site rehabilitation shall give actual notice as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days from such discovery, to the Division of Waste Management at the department’s Tallahassee office. The actual notice shall be provided on a form adopted by department rule and mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested. The person responsible for site rehabilitation shall simultaneously mail a copy of such notice to the appropriate department district office, county health department, and all known lessees and tenants of the source property. The notice shall include the following information:(a) The location of the property at which site rehabilitation was initiated pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701 and contact information for the person responsible for site rehabilitation, the person’s authorized agent, or another representative of the person. (b) A listing of all record owners of any real property, other than the property at which site rehabilitation was initiated pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701, at which contamination has been discovered; the parcel identification number for any such real property; the owner’s address listed in the current county property tax office records; and the owner’s telephone number. The requirements of this paragraph do not apply to the notice to known tenants and lessees of the source property. (c) Separate tables by medium, such as groundwater, soil, surface water, or sediment, that list sampling locations; sampling dates; names of contaminants detected above cleanup target levels; their corresponding cleanup target levels; the contaminant concentrations; and whether the cleanup target level is based on health, nuisance, organoleptic, or aesthetic concerns. (d) A vicinity map that shows each sampling location with corresponding laboratory analytical results and the date on which the sample was collected and that identifies the property boundaries of the property at which site rehabilitation was initiated pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701 and the other properties at which contamination has been discovered during such site rehabilitation. (3) DEPARTMENT’S NOTICE RESPONSIBILITIES.—Within 30 days after receiving the actual notice required pursuant to subsection (2), or within 30 days of the effective date of this act if the department already possesses information equivalent to that required by the notice, the department shall send a copy of such notice, or an equivalent notification, to all record owners of any real property, other than the property at which site rehabilitation was initiated pursuant to s. 376.3071(5), s. 376.3078(4), s. 376.81, or s. 376.30701, at which contamination has been discovered. If the property at which contamination has been discovered is the site of a school as defined in s. 1003.01, the department shall also send a copy of the notice to the chair of the school board of the district in which the property is located and direct said school board to provide actual notice to teachers and parents or guardians of students attending the school during the period of site rehabilitation. Along with the copy of the notice or its equivalent, the department shall include a letter identifying sources of additional information about the contamination and a telephone number to which further inquiries should be directed. The department may collaborate with the Department of Health to develop such sources of information and to establish procedures for responding to public inquiries about health risks associated with contaminated sites. (4) RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—The department shall adopt rules and forms pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the requirements of this section.