[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Harrington Park 6-15-1998 by Ord. No. 511. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known as the "Hazardous Waste Costs Recovery Ordinance."
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DISCHARGE
Any intentional or unintentional action or omission resulting in the releasing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping of a hazardous substance into the air or waters or onto the lands of the state, or into the air or waters outside the jurisdiction of the state, when damage may result to the lands, waters, air, or natural resources within the jurisdiction of the state.
EXPENDABLE ITEMS
Any items used to extinguish any fire or stop or contain any leak or spill involving any hazardous material which cannot be reused or cannot be replenished without cost after that particular fire, leak or spill. These include but are not restricted to firefighting foam, chemical extinguishing agents, absorbent material, sand, recovery drums, and specialized protective equipment, including but not restricted to acid suits, acid gloves, goggles, and protective clothing.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE
Any substance defined as such pursuant to Section 3 of the Spill Compensation and Control Act (N.J.S.A. 58:10-23.11b).
VEHICLE
Any motorized equipment, registered or unregistered, including but not limited to passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, tractor-trailers, construction equipment and farm machinery.
VESSEL
Any container, drum, box, cylinder or tank used to hold or contain or carry or store any hazardous material.
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION
A duly incorporated volunteer fire, ambulance, first aid, emergency or rescue company or squad.
A. 
This chapter provides for the reimbursement for or the replacement of the specialized and sometimes nonreusable equipment required by the state and federal regulations to be made available in the Borough in case of fire, leakage or spillage involving any hazardous material.
B. 
This chapter entitles the Borough of Harrington Park to reimbursement for any expendable items used by the Borough or any of its agencies in extinguishing any fires, stopping or containing any leak or controlling any spill or discharge of hazardous materials.
Any person or entity responsible for causing or allowing an unauthorized or otherwise negligent discharge of a hazardous substance that requires emergency action by a unit or volunteer organization of the Borough of Harrington Park in order to protect the public health, safety or welfare or the environment is liable, jointly and severally, to the Borough of Harrington Park or any such unit or organization for the necessary and reasonable costs incurred in investigating, mitigation, minimizing, removing, and abating the spill discharge.
A. 
The volunteer organization of the Borough of Harrington Park which is responsible for responding to the emergency caused by the spill or discharge of a hazardous substance shall keep a record of the costs attributable thereto and provide copies of that record to the governing body of the municipality within which the spill or discharge occurred.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code revisions (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
B. 
A volunteer organization of the Borough of Harrington Park which is responsible for responding to the emergency caused by the spill or the discharge of a hazardous substance may request the Borough Attorney to bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for recovery of costs permitted pursuant to this chapter against the person and/or entity responsible for causing or allowing the unauthorized spill or discharge. Upon receiving such a request, the Borough Attorney shall submit a written, itemized claim for the total certified costs incurred by the volunteer organization to the responsible person with a written demand that those costs be paid. Within a reasonable period of time before bringing a civil action for recovery of those costs, the Borough Attorney shall mail written notice to the responsible person and/or entity informing him or it that, unless the total certified costs are paid within 30 days after the date of mailing of the notice, the Borough Attorney shall bring a civil action for that amount.
C. 
In making a determination of the amount required to be reimbursed pursuant to this chapter, the status of a person liable pursuant to § 189-4 of this chapter as a taxpayer to the Borough of Harrington Park may be taken into consideration.
D. 
The volunteer organization responding to the emergency caused by the spill or discharge of a hazardous substance may compromise and settle any claim for costs permitted pursuant to this chapter in such amount in the discretion of the organization as may appear appropriate and equitable under all of the circumstances.
E. 
Any recovery of costs shall be credited to the appropriate funds of each organization from which monies were expended in responding to the emergency caused by the spill or discharge of a hazardous substance as set forth in this chapter.