This bill amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to enhance the authority and responsibilities of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) regarding environmental contamination response activities. Key changes include the removal of restrictive language that previously limited the department's discretion in approving response activities, thereby allowing for a broader interpretation of necessary actions to protect public health and the environment. The bill emphasizes the need for remedial actions and establishes clearer criteria for cleanup based on land use and environmental standards. It also introduces new requirements for developing cleanup criteria based on human health risk assessments and mandates the use of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's toxicity values for determining final toxicity values.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing laws related to the management of groundwater and soil contamination, specifying that cleanup criteria must be derived using appropriate assessment methods for hazardous substances posing non-cancer health risks. It clarifies that more stringent criteria will apply if groundwater cleanup standards differ from drinking water standards, and it requires the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to ensure that current zoning aligns with proposed cleanup criteria. The bill also emphasizes public transparency in the revision of cleanup criteria, mandates the establishment of sentinel monitoring points for groundwater contamination, and outlines the conditions for using alternative monitoring points and ecological demonstrations. Overall, these amendments aim to strengthen the regulatory framework for hazardous substance management and ensure compliance with environmental standards.

Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 324.20118