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.r.i'. <br />%■ <br />•I - <br />fw <br />V'. <br />\ h ■*• <br />,i< . <br />•-»!>* -. <br />XiCtnl changts in tht law alao allow <br />rtlmlnificincnt to bagin after a cleanup plan has <br />been approved* and allow rclmbunemcnt to an <br />ownar/optrator of certain coats incurred as a <br />result of a lawsuit over a petroleum release <br />If tht owner of a leaking petroleum tank is <br />unidentihed* uncoopeiativt or unable to do the <br />deanup* tht MPCA can clean up the site with <br />money horn the Petrofund. Re^yment of these <br />expenMa •— including investigative* <br />administrativt and 1^ costs %vill be sought <br />ffom tht responsible parties through dvil <br />lawsuits Ated by the state attorney geoeral's <br />ofAct. Expenses that are recovered are then <br />retunted to the Petrofund. <br />The MPCA will also use the federal LUST Trust to <br />dean up undergroutul tank sites where owners <br />and opmtois art unknown or uncooperative* <br />and to respond to leaking tank emergencies. The <br />Trust provides 1500 million in funds through 1993 <br />for such undergrouiKl storage tank cleanups <br />nadonwidt. hUnneioto* tht first st'^t to qualify <br />for a fMirai grant* received LUST Trust funds to <br />ICC up its state program atxl retain contrKtors for <br />Investigation* emergency response and cosnecUvt <br />actkMt Aa with the Petrofund* funds from the <br />LUSTTrust will be recovered hrom tank owners <br />and operators. <br />loth the state and fodcral programs also address <br />belter protection end monitoring on new and <br />exisUng tanka. In addition to current interim <br />acandetda baiming inatalletion of unprotected <br />atcel uixlerground tanks* othar rww regulations <br />require tnatallalion of corrosion protection and <br />mordtoring equipment to detect leaks and a <br />requirement that tank owners have insurance or <br />another form of Aiumcial guarantee that can cover <br />the costs of any cleanups. <br />1Wo-third8 of <br />MInnosotans <br />get thair <br />drinking water <br />from ground <br />water <br />In the next five to ten years* the state and federal <br />programs will supervise cleanup of much of <br />Minnesota's existing contamination from leaking <br />storage tanks. As old taidcs receivt added <br />protection against leakage and new tanka are <br />installed with stringent safeguards* the MPCA <br />staff expects an eventual decrcate In the number* <br />frequency and severity of tank leaks. <br />“INNOCENT LANDOWNER <br />PROTECTIONS <br />Landowners who purchased property without <br />Imowing or having reason to know that buried <br />storage tanks existed on the site are not <br />responsible for cleaning up teaks from such tardcs <br />if (he property owners can ahow they did not <br />sigiUfieantly contribute to the leak after they <br />learned or should have learned that tha tank was <br />on the property. State law also requires anyone <br />selling land to file an afftdavU with the county <br />recorder that identifies any undcrgrouitd tanks or <br />leaks on the property that have not been deaned <br />up. This law helps to ensure that land buyers are <br />aware of any potential problems from <br />underground storage tanks. <br />y-!v;