[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
The surface waters, groundwater, soils, vegetation and atmosphere inside the reservation are susceptible to damage from the handling, storage, use, processing and disposal of hazardous material. The expense incurred by the Tribe as a result of Grand Traverse Band Fire/Rescue Department having to respond to protect life, property and the environment by preventing or mitigating a release of hazardous materials should be recovered from the person responsible for the release or threatened release.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
As used in this ordinance, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended:
(a) 
"CFR" shall mean the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) 
"Designee" shall mean the Northwestern Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team or such other public or private agency authorized in writing by the Tribe to respond to hazardous materials incidents within the Grand Traverse Reservation or on trust lands.
(c) 
"Emergency action" shall mean all of the activities conducted in order to prevent imminent injury or mitigate injury to human health or to the environment inside the Grand Traverse Band from a release or threatened release of any hazardous material into or upon the environment.
(d) 
"Hazardous material" shall mean any of the following:
(1) 
Any material listed in 49 CFR § 173.2, as may be amended, as a hazardous material;
(2) 
Any material listed in 40 CFR § 401.15, as may be amended, as a toxic pollutant;
(3) 
Any material designated as a hazardous material and regulated as such by the law of the State of Michigan; and
(4) 
Petroleum and petroleum-based products which retain any of the hazardous characteristics of raw petroleum.
(e) 
"Person" shall include any individual and any corporation, association, partnership, firm, trustee, or legal representative.
(f) 
"Release" shall mean any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injection, escaping, leaching, dumping or disposing into or upon the environment, which causes dangers or harm to the public health or to the environment; including, but not limited to, the release of any material classified as hazardous material by any federal legislation or regulation, by any state legislation or regulation, or by any township ordinance.
(g) 
"Response" shall mean action by the Tribe or its designee to contain, clean-up or mitigate injury to the environment or to people caused by a release or threated release of hazardous materials in a manner other than as an emergency action.
(h) 
"Threatened release" shall mean any imminent or impending event with the potential to cause a release, and which causes the Tribe to undertake an emergency action to prevent a release.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
Any person who handles or stores hazardous materials that, if released, would cause damage to the surface waters, groundwater, soils or atmosphere shall notify the Tribe prior to transporting hazardous materials onto the reservation for handling or storage and/or immediately upon release.
(b) 
The requirements of this ordinance shall not be construed to forbid or forgive any person from using all diligence necessary to control a hazardous material release prior or subsequent to the notification of the Tribe, especially if such efforts may result in the containment of the release or the abatement of extreme hazard to the employees or the general public. Delays in reporting releases due to in-house notification of off-site owners or supervisors shall result in penalties. Nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to exempt or release any person from any other notification or reporting required by any Tribal, state or federal agency or with all applicable regulations and laws.
(c) 
The Tribal Council, Fire Chief, or the Tribal Manager are authorized to direct a response or an emergency action and the clean-up and abatement of any release, or threatened release, within the Tribe.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
Any person who causes a release or a threatened release, or who contributes to the same, shall be liable to the Tribe for recoverable costs incurred by a response or an emergency action.
(b) 
The following described persons shall be jointly and severally liable to the Tribe for the payment of all costs incurred by the Tribe as a result of such cleanup or abatement activity:
(1) 
Any person whose negligent or willful act or omission proximately caused such release, discharge or deposit; and
(2) 
Any person who owned or had custody or control of the hazardous material or the material at the time of such release, discharge, or deposit, without regard to fault or proximate cause.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
The Tribe or its designee shall keep an itemized record of recoverable costs resulting from a release or threatened release, including any response or an emergency action.
(b) 
The Tribe or its designee shall submit a written itemized claim to the responsible person for the total costs incurred related to the release or threatened release and any emergency action with written notice that unless the amounts are paid in full within 30 days after the date of the mailing of the claim and notice, a civil action will be commenced seeking recovery for the stated amount plus any amounts occasioned by such suit.
(c) 
For the purposes of this ordinance, costs of the Tribe or its designee shall mean all direct and indirect costs and shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) 
Actual labor cost of personnel, including workers' compensation benefits, including continuing costs to an employer, and fringe benefits;
(2) 
Administrative overhead;
(3) 
Costs of equipment operation;
(4) 
Costs of materials;
(5) 
Laboratory costs of analyzing samples taken during the emergency action;
(6) 
Medical expenses incurred as a result of response activities;
(7) 
Costs of any contract labor;
(8) 
Costs to supervise or verify the adequacy of the cleanup or abatement by others; and
(9) 
Legal expenses that may be incurred as a result of the response or emergency action, including actions for recoverable expenses pursuant to this ordinance.
(d) 
Costs recovered related to the response or emergency action incurred by the Tribe's designee shall be transferred to the designee as soon as possible.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
The Tribe or its designee may bring a civil action for payment of the recoverable costs against any and all persons liable under this ordinance. All costs of such suit, including actual costs and attorney fees, shall also be a recoverable cost within the same civil action.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
Nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to conflict with Tribal, state or federal laws requiring persons causing or responsible for release or threatened release from engaging in remediation activities or paying the cost thereof, or both.
(b) 
Nothing in this ordinance shall prevent the criminal or civil liability of any person under any applicable tribal, federal or state law or regulation.
(c) 
Failure of a person to comply with an applicable tribal, federal or state law or regulation governing the transportation, use, storage, handling or disposal of hazardous material shall establish prima facie liability to the Tribe or its designee for recoverable costs incurred by a response or emergency action.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
The remedies provided by this ordinance shall be in addition to any other remedies available in equity or at law and such penalties as provided by law or ordinance.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
Nothing in this ordinance shall be interpreted as waiving the sovereign immunity of the Tribe or any designee entitled to the same.
[History: Tribal Act #01-19.1007, enacted by Tribal Council on May 16, 2001. Amended by Tribal Act #15-33.2688, January 20, 2016; and enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
The effective date of this Ordinance shall be the 21st day of November 2000.
(b) 
The effective date of the amendments to this ordinance adopted January 20, 2016 shall be February 19, 2016.
[History: Enacted by Tribal Council on February 19, 2016.]
(a) 
Adoption and Application of Standards.
(1) 
The Tribe hereby adopts and shall apply the clean-up standards set forth in the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Clean-up Criteria Requirements for Response Activity, as amended, which is incorporated herein by reference.
(2) 
If a necessary clean-up standard is not identified, or if a release or threatened release involves multiple materials with multiple health effects, the Tribe may determine the appropriate clean-up standard by reference to comparable tribal, state or federal clean-up standards, or the Tribe may consult with tribal, state and federal agencies, or institutes of higher learning, or other entities or persons with expertise in the clean-up of hazardous or toxic materials and/or human or environmental toxicology to determine the appropriate clean-up level that protects human health (consistent with Tribal practices and consumptive uses) and the environment.
(3) 
The Tribe may develop and adopt specific clean-up standards for application under this ordinance. In developing these standards, the Tribe may consult with tribal, state and federal agencies, or institutes of higher learning, or other entities or persons with expertise in the clean-up of hazardous or toxic materials and/or human or environmental toxicology to determine the appropriate clean-up level that protects human health (consistent with Tribal practices and consumptive uses) and the environment. Upon enactment by Tribal Council of such clean-up standards, which shall be in the form of amendment(s) to this ordinance, such standards shall, on the effective date determined by the Council, become enforceable hereunder and shall supersede previously applicable standards.