- Committee -

SCS/SB 901 - This act pertains to environmental control.

The act changes the reference in various statutes from the Department of Natural Resources to the Hazardous Waste Management Commission to reflect the transfer of oversight and rulemaking authority.

This act outlines the Department of Natural Resources' responsibilities including but not limited to, certificates of registration, when such registration should be denied, when it is appropriate for the department to institute clean up operations, and when liability for those operations can be transferred to the owner.

This act allows for commencement of a civil action by the Department, on behalf of the state, against a non compliant owner/operator. This act dictates that when a violation is alleged, the department shall provide the owner/operator written criteria detailing exactly what action is necessary for compliance.

This act provides the authority for the Department to adopt more stringent state regulations than those furnished by the federal government if such rules are necessary to protect human health or the environment. The procedure by which those rules are adopted is laid out in this act.

Through this act, the Department has the authority to assess an administrative penalty to any owner/operator not in compliance with the regulations governing underground storage tanks. Finally, this act changes the jurisdiction over underground storage tanks from the Clean Water Commission to the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission.

MEGAN CRAIN