[Adopted 7-10-1995 by Ord. No. 95-010]
The purpose of this article is to enable the City to require reimbursement for all costs and damages incurred in connection with emergency responses involving dangerous or hazardous substances or materials. Such costs and damages shall include, but not be limited to, those associated with incident abatement, cleanup and mitigation, including any related third-party costs, which were necessary to ensure the safety of the City and its populace.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this article, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
COSTS AND DAMAGES
The direct and reasonable costs incurred by the City, or by a private person, corporation or other entity operating at the request or direction of the City, when making an emergency response to an incident, including the costs of providing police, fire-fighting and rescue service at the scene of the incident. These costs include, but are not limited to, all the salaries, wages and workers' compensation benefits of the City personnel responding to the incident; all the salaries, wages and workers' compensation benefits of the City personnel engaged in investigation, supervision and report preparation; all costs associated with the administration and provision of chemical tests relating to any prosecution of the person causing the incident; the cost of equipment operation; the cost of materials obtained directly by the City; and the cost of contract labor or materials.
DANGEROUS OR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS
Any substance which is spilled, leaked or otherwise released from its container, which in the opinion of the ranking Fire Department, Police Department or Building, Zoning and Environmental Compliance Department official, or other duly authorized personnel or official, in charge of the scene, is dangerous or harmful to the environment or to human or animal life, health, safety or welfare, and shall include, but not be limited to, such substances as chemicals and gases, explosives, radioactive materials, petroleum or petroleum products or gases, poisons, etiologic (biologic) agents, flammables and corrosives.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Providing, sending and/or utilizing public service, or any agent, of the City, at or to an incident involving the leakage, spillage or any other dissemination of dangerous or hazardous substances or materials.
PERSON
Any individual, joint-stock company, partnership, voluntary association, society, club, firm, company, corporation, business trust, organization, or any other group acting as a unit, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, partner, member, director, officer or employee of any of them, including an executor, administrator, trustee, receiver or other representative appointed according to law.
It shall be the duty of any person who or which controls leakage, spillage or any other dissemination of hazardous substances or materials to immediately notify the City of such spillage and to immediately remove same and clean up the area of such spillage in such manner that the area involved is fully restored to its condition before such happening. The Fire Department will inspect such site to make sure the cleanup is in compliance with state, local and federal guidelines.
Any person who or which fails to comply with § 311-3 hereof shall be liable to the City and shall pay the City for its costs and expenses of an emergency response. The costs and expenses of the emergency response shall constitute a debt of such person, which debt is collectible by the City, for incurring such costs and expenses, in the same manner as in the case of an obligation under a contract, express or implied.
The City Director of Finance shall, within 10 days of receiving a statement of itemized costs incurred by the Fire Department as a result of an emergency response, submit an invoice for the same, by first class mail or personal service, to the person liable for such costs as set forth in this article.
Any person described in this article as being liable for the expense of an emergency response, who fails to reimburse the City within 30 days of receiving notice of the expenses incurred by the City as a result of an emergency response, shall be considered in default. If the person who is liable for the debt refuses to reimburse the City, and owns real estate within the City, the expenses shall be assessed against the real estate in the manner provided by the City Charter (delinquent bills and assessments). If the person does not own real estate in the City, collection shall be pursued by the City Attorney. The City shall also have the right to bring an action in an appropriate court to collect such costs if it deems such action to be necessary.