HOUSE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 1123 CS
   
1 CHAMBER ACTION
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Senate House
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12          Representative Clarke offered the following:
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14          Amendment (with title amendment)
15          Remove everything after the enacting clause, and insert:
16          Section 1. Section 376.30701, Florida Statutes, is created
17    to read:
18          376.30701 Application of risk-based corrective action
19    principles to contaminated sites; applicability; legislative
20    intent; rulemaking authority; contamination cleanup criteria;
21    limitations; reopeners.--
22          (1) APPLICABILITY.--
23          (a) This section shall not create or establish any new
24    liability for site rehabilitation at contaminated sites. This
25    section is intended to describe a risk-based corrective action
26    process to be applied at sites where legal responsibility for
27    site rehabilitation exists pursuant to other provisions of this
28    chapter or chapter 403. An exceedance of any cleanup target
29    level derived from the cleanup criteria established in
30    subsection (2) shall not, at sites where legal responsibility
31    for site rehabilitation does not exist pursuant to other
32    provisions of this chapter or chapter 403, create liability for
33    site rehabilitation. This section may also apply to other
34    contaminated sites at which a person conducting site
35    rehabilitation elects to have it apply, even where such person
36    does not have legal responsibility for site rehabilitation
37    pursuant to this chapter or chapter 403. This section, and any
38    rules adopted pursuant thereto, including the cleanup criteria
39    described in subsection (2), do not create additional authority
40    to prohibit or limit the legal placement of materials or
41    products on land.
42          (b) This section shall apply to all contaminated sites
43    resulting from a discharge of pollutants or hazardous substances
44    where legal responsibility for site rehabilitation exists
45    pursuant to other provisions of this chapter or chapter 403,
46    except for those contaminated sites subject to the risk-based
47    corrective action cleanup criteria established for the
48    petroleum, brownfields, and drycleaning programs pursuant to ss.
49    376.3071, 376.81, and 376.3078, respectively.
50          (c) This section shall apply to a variety of site
51    rehabilitation scenarios including, but not limited to, site
52    rehabilitation conducted voluntarily, site rehabilitation
53    conducted pursuant to the department's enforcement authority, or
54    site rehabilitation conducted as a state-managed cleanup by the
55    department.
56          (d) This section, and any rules adopted pursuant thereto,
57    shall apply retroactively to all existing contaminated sites
58    where legal responsibility for site rehabilitation exists
59    pursuant to other provisions of this chapter or chapter 403,
60    except those sites for which cleanup target levels have been
61    accepted by the department in an approved technical document,
62    current permit, or other written agreement and except at those
63    sites that have received a "No Further Action" order or a "Site
64    Rehabilitation Completion" order from the department. However,
65    the person responsible for site rehabilitation can elect to have
66    the provisions of this section, including cleanup target levels
67    established pursuant thereto, apply in lieu of those in an
68    approved technical document, current permit, or other written
69    agreement.
70          (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit
71    or delay actions to respond to a discharge of pollutants or
72    hazardous substances prior to any contact with the department.
73    The risk-based corrective action process contemplates
74    appropriate emergency response action or initial remedial action
75    prior to any formal application of the risk-based corrective
76    action process involving site assessment and, if required,
77    subsequent remedial action. Any emergency response actions or
78    initial remedial actions must be conducted in accordance with
79    all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
80          (2) INTENT; RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; CLEANUP CRITERIA.--It is
81    the intent of the Legislature to protect the health of all
82    people under actual circumstances of exposure. By July 1, 2004,
83    the secretary of the department shall establish criteria by rule
84    for the purpose of determining, on a site-specific basis, the
85    rehabilitation program tasks that comprise a site rehabilitation
86    program, including a voluntary site rehabilitation program, and
87    the level at which a rehabilitation program task and a site
88    rehabilitation program may be deemed completed. In establishing
89    these rules, the department shall apply, to the maximum extent
90    feasible, a risk-based corrective action process to achieve
91    protection of human health and safety and the environment in a
92    cost-effective manner based on the principles set forth in this
93    subsection. These rules shall prescribe a phased risk-based
94    corrective action process that is iterative and that tailors
95    site rehabilitation tasks to site-specific conditions and risks.
96    The department and the person responsible for site
97    rehabilitation are encouraged to establish decision points at
98    which risk management decisions will be made. The department
99    shall provide an early decision, when requested, regarding
100    applicable exposure factors and a risk management approach based
101    on the current and future land use at the site. These rules
102    shall also include protocols for the use of natural attenuation,
103    the use of institutional and engineering controls, and the
104    issuance of "No Further Action" orders. The criteria for
105    determining what constitutes a rehabilitation program task or
106    completion of a site rehabilitation program task or site
107    rehabilitation program, including a voluntary site
108    rehabilitation program, must:
109          (a) Consider the current exposure and potential risk of
110    exposure to humans and the environment, including multiple
111    pathways of exposure. The physical, chemical, and biological
112    characteristics of each contaminant must be considered in order
113    to determine the feasibility of risk-based corrective action
114    assessment.
115          (b) Establish the point of compliance at the source of the
116    contamination. However, the department is authorized to
117    temporarily move the point of compliance to the boundary of the
118    property, or to the edge of the plume when the plume is within
119    the property boundary, while cleanup, including cleanup through
120    natural attenuation processes in conjunction with appropriate
121    monitoring, is proceeding. The department also is authorized,
122    pursuant to criteria provided for in this section, to
123    temporarily extend the point of compliance beyond the property
124    boundary with appropriate monitoring, if such extension is
125    needed to facilitate natural attenuation or to address the
126    current conditions of the plume, provided human health, public
127    safety, and the environment are protected. When temporarily
128    extending the point of compliance beyond the property boundary,
129    it cannot be extended further than the lateral extent of the
130    plume, if known, at the time of execution of a cleanup
131    agreement, if required, or the lateral extent of the plume as
132    defined at the time of site assessment. Temporary extension of
133    the point of compliance beyond the property boundary, as
134    provided in this paragraph, must include actual notice by the
135    person responsible for site rehabilitation to local governments
136    and the owners of any property into which the point of
137    compliance is allowed to extend and constructive notice to
138    residents and business tenants of the property into which the
139    point of compliance is allowed to extend. Persons receiving
140    notice pursuant to this paragraph shall have the opportunity to
141    comment within 30 days after receipt of the notice.
142          (c) Ensure that the site-specific cleanup goal is that all
143    contaminated sites being cleaned up pursuant to this section
144    ultimately achieve the applicable cleanup target levels provided
145    in this subsection. In the circumstances provided in this
146    subsection, and after constructive notice and opportunity to
147    comment within 30 days after receipt of the notice to local
148    government, owners of any property into which the point of
149    compliance is allowed to extend, and residents of any property
150    into which the point of compliance is allowed to extend, the
151    department may allow concentrations of contaminants to
152    temporarily exceed the applicable cleanup target levels while
153    cleanup, including cleanup through natural attenuation processes
154    in conjunction with appropriate monitoring, is proceeding, if
155    human health, public safety, and the environment are protected.
156          (d) Allow the use of institutional or engineering controls
157    at contaminated sites being cleaned up pursuant to this section,
158    where appropriate, to eliminate or control the potential
159    exposure to contaminants of humans or the environment. The use
160    of controls must be preapproved by the department and only after
161    constructive notice and opportunity to comment within 30 days
162    after receipt of notice is provided to local governments, owners
163    of any property into which the point of compliance is allowed to
164    extend, and residents of any property into which the point of
165    compliance is allowed to extend. When institutional or
166    engineering controls are implemented to control exposure, the
167    removal of the controls must have prior department approval and
168    must be accompanied by the resumption of active cleanup, or
169    other approved controls, unless cleanup target levels under this
170    section have been achieved.
171          (e) Consider the additive effects of contaminants. The
172    synergistic and antagonistic effects shall also be considered
173    when the scientific data become available.
174          (f) Take into consideration individual site
175    characteristics, which shall include, but not be limited to, the
176    current and projected use of the affected groundwater and
177    surface water in the vicinity of the site, current and projected
178    land uses of the area affected by the contamination, the exposed
179    population, the degree and extent of contamination, the rate of
180    contaminant migration, the apparent or potential rate of
181    contaminant degradation through natural attenuation processes,
182    the location of the plume, and the potential for further
183    migration in relation to site property boundaries.
184          (g) Apply state water quality standards as follows:
185          1. Cleanup target levels for each contaminant found in
186    groundwater shall be the applicable state water quality
187    standards. Where such standards do not exist, the cleanup target
188    levels for groundwater shall be based on the minimum criteria
189    specified in department rule. The department shall apply the
190    following, as appropriate, in establishing the applicable
191    cleanup target levels: calculations using a lifetime cancer risk
192    level of 1.0E-6; a hazard index of 1 or less; the best
193    achievable detection limit; and nuisance, organoleptic, and
194    aesthetic considerations. However, the department shall not
195    require site rehabilitation to achieve a cleanup target level
196    for any individual contaminant that is more stringent than the
197    site-specific, naturally occurring background concentration for
198    that contaminant.
199          2. Where surface waters are exposed to contaminated
200    groundwater, the cleanup target levels for the contaminants
201    shall be based on the more protective of the groundwater or
202    surface water standards as established by department rule. The
203    point of measuring compliance with the surface water standards
204    shall be in the groundwater immediately adjacent to the surface
205    water body.
206          3. Using risk-based corrective action principles, the
207    department shall approve alternative cleanup target levels in
208    conjunction with institutional and engineering controls, if
209    needed, based upon an applicant's demonstration, using site-
210    specific data, modeling results, risk assessment studies, risk
211    reduction techniques, or a combination thereof, that human
212    health, public safety, and the environment are protected to the
213    same degree as provided in subparagraphs 1. and 2. Where a state
214    water quality standard is applicable, a deviation may not result
215    in the application of cleanup target levels more stringent than
216    the standard. In determining whether it is appropriate to
217    establish alternative cleanup target levels at a site, the
218    department must consider the effectiveness of source removal, if
219    any, that has been completed at the site and the practical
220    likelihood of the use of low yield or poor quality groundwater,
221    the use of groundwater near marine surface water bodies, the
222    current and projected use of the affected groundwater in the
223    vicinity of the site, or the use of groundwater in the immediate
224    vicinity of the contaminated area, where it has been
225    demonstrated that the groundwater contamination is not migrating
226    away from such localized source, provided human health, public
227    safety, and the environment are protected.
228          (h) Provide for the department to issue a "No Further
229    Action" order, with conditions, including, but not limited to,
230    the use of institutional or engineering controls where
231    appropriate, when alternative cleanup target levels established
232    pursuant to subparagraph (g)3. have been achieved or when the
233    person responsible for site rehabilitation can demonstrate that
234    the cleanup target level is unachievable with the use of
235    available technologies. Prior to issuing such an order, the
236    department shall consider the feasibility of an alternative site
237    rehabilitation technology at the contaminated site.
238          (i) Establish appropriate cleanup target levels for soils.
239    Although there are existing state water quality standards, there
240    are no existing statewide soil quality standards. The
241    Legislature does not intend, through the adoption of this
242    section, to create such soil quality standards. The specific
243    rulemaking authority granted pursuant to this section merely
244    authorizes the department to establish appropriate soil cleanup
245    target levels. These soil cleanup target levels will be
246    applicable at sites only after a determination as to legal
247    responsibility for site rehabilitation has been made pursuant to
248    other provisions of this chapter or chapter 403.
249          1. In establishing soil cleanup target levels for human
250    exposure to each contaminant found in soils from the land
251    surface to 2 feet below land surface, the department shall apply
252    the following, as appropriate: calculations using a lifetime
253    cancer risk level of 1.0E-6; a hazard index of 1 or less; and
254    the best achievable detection limit. However, the department
255    shall not require site rehabilitation to achieve a cleanup
256    target level for an individual contaminant that is more
257    stringent than the site-specific, naturally occurring background
258    concentration for that contaminant. Institutional controls or
259    other methods shall be used to prevent human exposure to
260    contaminated soils more than 2 feet below the land surface. Any
261    removal of such institutional controls shall require such
262    contaminated soils to be remediated.
263          2. Leachability-based soil cleanup target levels shall be
264    based on protection of the groundwater cleanup target levels or
265    the alternate cleanup target levels for groundwater established
266    pursuant to this paragraph, as appropriate. Source removal and
267    other cost-effective alternatives that are technologically
268    feasible shall be considered in achieving the leachability soil
269    cleanup target levels established by the department. The
270    leachability goals shall not be applicable if the department
271    determines, based upon individual site characteristics, and in
272    conjunction with institutional and engineering controls, if
273    needed, that contaminants will not leach into the groundwater at
274    levels that pose a threat to human health, public safety, and
275    the environment.
276          3. Using risk-based corrective action principles, the
277    department shall approve alternative cleanup target levels in
278    conjunction with institutional and engineering controls, if
279    needed, based upon an applicant's demonstration, using site-
280    specific data, modeling results, risk assessment studies, risk
281    reduction techniques, or a combination thereof, that human
282    health, public safety, and the environment are protected to the
283    same degree as provided in subparagraphs 1. and 2.
284         
285          The department shall require source removal, as a risk reduction
286    measure, if warranted and cost-effective. Once source removal at
287    a site is complete, the department shall reevaluate the site to
288    determine the degree of active cleanup needed to continue.
289    Further, the department shall determine if the reevaluated site
290    qualifies for monitoring only or if no further action is
291    required to rehabilitate the site. If additional site
292    rehabilitation is necessary to reach "No Further Action" status,
293    the department is encouraged to utilize natural attenuation and
294    monitoring where site conditions warrant.
295          (3) LIMITATIONS.--The cleanup criteria established
296    pursuant to this section govern only site rehabilitation
297    activities occurring at the contaminated site. Removal of
298    contaminated media from a site for offsite relocation or
299    treatment must be in accordance with all applicable federal,
300    state, and local laws and regulations.
301          (4) REOPENERS.--Upon completion of site rehabilitation in
302    compliance with subsection (2), additional site rehabilitation
303    is not required unless it is demonstrated that:
304          (a) Fraud was committed in demonstrating site conditions
305    or completion of site rehabilitation;
306          (b) New information confirms the existence of an area of
307    previously unknown contamination which exceeds the site-specific
308    rehabilitation levels established in accordance with subsection
309    (2), or which otherwise poses the threat of real and substantial
310    harm to public health, safety, or the environment;
311          (c) The remediation efforts failed to achieve the site
312    rehabilitation criteria established under this section;
313          (d) The level of risk is increased beyond the acceptable
314    risk established under subsection (2) due to substantial changes
315    in exposure conditions, such as a change in land use from
316    nonresidential to residential use. Any person who changes the
317    land use of the site, thereby causing the level of risk to
318    increase beyond the acceptable risk level, may be required by
319    the department to undertake additional remediation measures to
320    ensure that human health, public safety, and the environment are
321    protected consistent with this section; or
322          (e) A new discharge of pollutants or hazardous substances
323    occurs at the site subsequent to the issuance of a "No Further
324    Action" order or a "Site Rehabilitation Completion" order
325    associated with the original contamination being addressed
326    pursuant to this section.
327          Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 199.1055, Florida
328    Statutes, is amended to read:
329          199.1055 Contaminated site rehabilitation tax credit.--
330          (1) AUTHORIZATION FOR TAX CREDIT; LIMITATIONS.--
331          (a) A credit in the amount of 35 percent of the costs of
332    voluntary cleanup activity that is integral to site
333    rehabilitation at the following sites is availableallowed
334    against any tax due for a taxable year under s. 199.032, less
335    any credit allowed by former s. 220.68 for that year:
336          1. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site eligible for
337    state-funded site rehabilitation under s. 376.3078(3);
338          2. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site at which
339    cleanup is undertaken by the real property owner pursuant to s.
340    376.3078(11), if the real property owner is not also, and has
341    never been, the owner or operator of the drycleaning facility
342    where the contamination exists; or
343          3. A brownfield site in a designated brownfield area under
344    s. 376.80.
345          (b) A tax credit applicant, or multiple tax credit
346    applicantstaxpayer, or multiple taxpayersworking jointly to
347    clean up a single site, may not be grantedreceivemore than
348    $250,000 per year in tax credits for each site voluntarily
349    rehabilitated. Multiple tax credit applicantstaxpayers shall be
350    grantedreceivetax credits in the same proportion as their
351    contribution to payment of cleanup costs. Subject to the same
352    conditions and limitations as provided in this section, a
353    municipality,or county, or other tax credit applicantwhich
354    voluntarily rehabilitates a site may receive not more than
355    $250,000 per year in tax credits which it can subsequently
356    transfer subject to the provisions in paragraph (g).
357          (c) If the credit granted under this section is not fully
358    used in any one year because of insufficient tax liability on
359    the part of the tax credit applicanttaxpayer, the unused amount
360    may be carried forward for a period not to exceed 5 years. Five
361    years after the date a credit is granted under this section,
362    such credit expires and may not be used. However, if during the
363    5-year period the credit is transferred, in whole or in part,
364    pursuant to paragraph (g), each transferee has 5 years after the
365    date of transfer to use its credit.
366          (d) A taxpayer that receives a credit under s. 220.1845 is
367    ineligible to receive credit under this section in a given tax
368    year.
369          (e) A tax credit applicanttaxpayerthat receives state-
370    funded site rehabilitation pursuant to s. 376.3078(3) for
371    rehabilitation of a drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site is
372    ineligible to receive credit under this section for costs
373    incurred by the tax credit applicanttaxpayerin conjunction
374    with the rehabilitation of that site during the same time period
375    that state-administered site rehabilitation was underway.
376          (f) The total amount of the tax credits which may be
377    granted under this section and s. 220.1845 is $2 million
378    annually.
379          (g)1. Tax credits that may be available under this section
380    to an entity eligible under s. 376.30781 may be transferred
381    after a merger or acquisition to the surviving or acquiring
382    entity and used in the same manner with the same limitations.
383          2. The entity or its surviving or acquiring entity as
384    described in subparagraph 1., may transfer any unused credit in
385    whole or in units of no less than 25 percent of the remaining
386    credit. The entity acquiring such credit may use it in the same
387    manner and with the same limitation as described in this
388    section. Such transferred credits may not be transferred again
389    although they may succeed to a surviving or acquiring entity
390    subject to the same conditions and limitations as described in
391    this section.
392          3. In the event the credit provided for under this section
393    is reduced either as a result of a determination by the
394    Department of Environmental Protection or an examination or
395    audit by the Department of Revenue, such tax deficiency shall be
396    recovered from the first entity, or the surviving or acquiring
397    entity, to have claimed such credit up to the amount of credit
398    taken. Any subsequent deficiencies shall be assessed against any
399    entity acquiring and claiming such credit, or in the case of
400    multiple succeeding entities in the order of credit succession.
401          (h) In order to encourage completion of site
402    rehabilitation at contaminated sites being voluntarily cleaned
403    up and eligible for a tax credit under this section, the tax
404    credit applicanttaxpayermay claim an additional 10 percent of
405    the total cleanup costs, not to exceed $50,000, in the final
406    year of cleanup as evidenced by the Department of Environmental
407    Protection issuing a "No Further Action" order for that site.
408          Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 220.1845, Florida
409    Statutes, is amended to read:
410          220.1845 Contaminated site rehabilitation tax credit.--
411          (1) AUTHORIZATION FOR TAX CREDIT; LIMITATIONS.--
412          (a) A credit in the amount of 35 percent of the costs of
413    voluntary cleanup activity that is integral to site
414    rehabilitation at the following sites is availableallowed
415    against any tax due for a taxable year under this chapter:
416          1. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site eligible for
417    state-funded site rehabilitation under s. 376.3078(3);
418          2. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site at which
419    cleanup is undertaken by the real property owner pursuant to s.
420    376.3078(11), if the real property owner is not also, and has
421    never been, the owner or operator of the drycleaning facility
422    where the contamination exists; or
423          3. A brownfield site in a designated brownfield area under
424    s. 376.80.
425          (b) A tax credit applicant, or multiple tax credit
426    applicantstaxpayer, or multiple taxpayersworking jointly to
427    clean up a single site, may not be grantedreceivemore than
428    $250,000 per year in tax credits for each site voluntarily
429    rehabilitated. Multiple tax credit applicantstaxpayers shall be
430    grantedreceivetax credits in the same proportion as their
431    contribution to payment of cleanup costs. Subject to the same
432    conditions and limitations as provided in this section, a
433    municipality,or county, or other tax credit applicantwhich
434    voluntarily rehabilitates a site may receive not more than
435    $250,000 per year in tax credits which it can subsequently
436    transfer subject to the provisions in paragraph (h).
437          (c) If the credit granted under this section is not fully
438    used in any one year because of insufficient tax liability on
439    the part of the corporation, the unused amount may be carried
440    forward for a period not to exceed 5 years. The carryover credit
441    may be used in a subsequent year when the tax imposed by this
442    chapter for that year exceeds the credit for which the
443    corporation is eligible in that year under this section after
444    applying the other credits and unused carryovers in the order
445    provided by s. 220.02(8). Five years after the date a credit is
446    granted under this section, such credit expires and may not be
447    used. However, if during the 5-year period the credit is
448    transferred, in whole or in part, pursuant to paragraph (h),
449    each transferee has 5 years after the date of transfer to use
450    its credit.
451          (d) A taxpayer that files a consolidated return in this
452    state as a member of an affiliated group under s. 220.131(1)
453    may be allowed the credit on a consolidated return basis up to
454    the amount of tax imposed upon the consolidated groupand paid
455    by the taxpayer that incurred the rehabilitation costs.
456          (e) A taxpayer that receives credit under s. 199.1055 is
457    ineligible to receive credit under this section in a given tax
458    year.
459          (f) A tax credit applicanttaxpayerthat receives state-
460    funded site rehabilitation under s. 376.3078(3) for
461    rehabilitation of a drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site is
462    ineligible to receive credit under this section for costs
463    incurred by the tax credit applicanttaxpayerin conjunction
464    with the rehabilitation of that site during the same time period
465    that state-administered site rehabilitation was underway.
466          (g) The total amount of the tax credits which may be
467    granted under this section and s. 199.1055 is $2 million
468    annually.
469          (h)1. Tax credits that may be available under this section
470    to an entity eligible under s. 376.30781 may be transferred
471    after a merger or acquisition to the surviving or acquiring
472    entity and used in the same manner and with the same
473    limitations.
474          2. The entity or its surviving or acquiring entity as
475    described in subparagraph 1., may transfer any unused credit in
476    whole or in units of no less than 25 percent of the remaining
477    credit. The entity acquiring such credit may use it in the same
478    manner and with the same limitation as described in this
479    section. Such transferred credits may not be transferred again
480    although they may succeed to a surviving or acquiring entity
481    subject to the same conditions and limitations as described in
482    this section.
483          3. In the event the credit provided for under this section
484    is reduced either as a result of a determination by the
485    Department of Environmental Protection or an examination or
486    audit by the Department of Revenue, such tax deficiency shall be
487    recovered from the first entity, or the surviving or acquiring
488    entity, to have claimed such credit up to the amount of credit
489    taken. Any subsequent deficiencies shall be assessed against
490    any entity acquiring and claiming such credit, or in the case of
491    multiple succeeding entities in the order of credit succession.
492          (i) In order to encourage completion of site
493    rehabilitation at contaminated sites being voluntarily cleaned
494    up and eligible for a tax credit under this section, the tax
495    credit applicanttaxpayermay claim an additional 10 percent of
496    the total cleanup costs, not to exceed $50,000, in the final
497    year of cleanup as evidenced by the Department of Environmental
498    Protection issuing a "No Further Action" order for that site.
499          Section 4. Section 376.30781, Florida Statutes, is amended
500    to read:
501          376.30781 Partial tax credits for rehabilitation of
502    drycleaning-solvent-contaminated sites and brownfield sites in
503    designated brownfield areas; application process; rulemaking
504    authority; revocation authority.--
505          (1) The Legislature finds that:
506          (a) To facilitate property transactions and economic
507    growth and development, it is in the interest of the state to
508    encourage the cleanup, at the earliest possible time, of
509    drycleaning-solvent-contaminated sites and brownfield sites in
510    designated brownfield areas.
511          (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
512    voluntary cleanup of drycleaning-solvent-contaminated sites and
513    brownfield sites in designated brownfield areas by providing a
514    partial tax credit for the restoration of such property in
515    specified circumstances.
516          (2)(a) A credit in the amount of 35 percent of the costs
517    of voluntary cleanup activity that is integral to site
518    rehabilitation at the following sites is allowed pursuant to ss.
519    199.1055 and 220.1845:
520          1. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site eligible for
521    state-funded site rehabilitation under s. 376.3078(3);
522          2. A drycleaning-solvent-contaminated site at which
523    cleanup is undertaken by the real property owner pursuant to s.
524    376.3078(11), if the real property owner is not also, and has
525    never been, the owner or operator of the drycleaning facility
526    where the contamination exists; or
527          3. A brownfield site in a designated brownfield area under
528    s. 376.80.
529          (b) A tax credit applicanttaxpayer, or multiple tax
530    credit applicantstaxpayersworking jointly to clean up a single
531    site, may not be grantedreceivemore than $250,000 per year in
532    tax credits for each site voluntarily rehabilitated. Multiple
533    tax credit applicantstaxpayers shall be grantedreceivetax
534    credits in the same proportion as their contribution to payment
535    of cleanup costs. Tax credits are available only for site
536    rehabilitation conducted during the calendartax year forin
537    which the tax credit application is submitted.
538          (c) In order to encourage completion of site
539    rehabilitation at contaminated sites that are being voluntarily
540    cleaned up and that are eligible for a tax credit under this
541    section, the tax credit applicant may claim an additional 10
542    percent of the total cleanup costs, not to exceed $50,000, in
543    the final year of cleanup as evidenced by the Department of
544    Environmental Protection issuing a "No Further Action" order for
545    that site.
546          (3) The Department of Environmental Protection shall be
547    responsible for allocating the tax credits provided for in ss.
548    199.1055 and 220.1845, not to exceed a total of $2 million in
549    tax credits annually.
550          (4) To claim the credit for site rehabilitation conducted
551    during the current calendar year, each tax creditapplicant must
552    apply to the Department of Environmental Protection for an
553    allocation of the $2 million annual credit by January 15 of the
554    following yearDecember 31on a form developed by the Department
555    of Environmental Protection in cooperation with the Department
556    of Revenue. The form shall include an affidavit from each tax
557    creditapplicant certifying that all information contained in
558    the application, including all records of costs incurred and
559    claimed in the tax credit application, are true and correct. If
560    the application is submitted pursuant to subparagraph (2)(a)2.,
561    the form must include an affidavit signed by the real property
562    owner stating that it is not, and has never been, the owner or
563    operator of the drycleaning facility where the contamination
564    exists. Approval of partial tax credits must be accomplished on
565    a first-come, first-served basis based upon the date complete
566    applications are received by the Division of Waste Management.
567    A tax creditAn applicant shall submit only one complete
568    application per site for each calendar year's site
569    rehabilitation costs. Incomplete placeholder applications shall
570    not be accepted and will not secure a place in the first-come,
571    first-served application lineper year. To be eligible for a
572    tax credit the tax creditapplicant must:
573          (a) Have entered into a voluntary cleanup agreement with
574    the Department of Environmental Protection for a drycleaning-
575    solvent-contaminated site or a Brownfield Site Rehabilitation
576    Agreement, as applicable; and
577          (b) Have paid all deductibles pursuant to s.
578    376.3078(3)(d) for eligible drycleaning-solvent-cleanup program
579    sites.
580          (5) To obtain the tax credit certificate, a tax creditan
581    applicant must annually file an application for certification,
582    which must be received by the Division of Waste Management of
583    the Department of Environmental Protection by January 15 of the
584    year following the calendar year for which site rehabilitation
585    costs are being claimed in a tax credit applicationDecember 31.
586    The tax creditapplicant must provide all pertinent information
587    requested on the tax credit application form, including, at a
588    minimum, the name and address of the tax creditapplicant and
589    the address and tracking identification number of the eligible
590    site. Along with the tax credit application form, the tax credit
591    applicant must submit the following:
592          (a) A nonrefundable review fee of $250 made payable to the
593    Water Quality Assurance Trust Fund to cover the administrative
594    costs associated with the department's review of the tax credit
595    application;
596          (b) Copies of contracts and documentation of contract
597    negotiations, accounts, invoices, sales tickets, or other
598    payment records from purchases, sales, leases, or other
599    transactions involving actual costs incurred for that tax year
600    related to site rehabilitation, as that term is defined in ss.
601    376.301 and 376.79;
602          (c) Proof that the documentation submitted pursuant to
603    paragraph (b) has been reviewed and verified by an independent
604    certified public accountant in accordance with standards
605    established by the American Institute of Certified Public
606    Accountants. Specifically, the certified public accountant must
607    attest to the accuracy and validity of the costs incurred and
608    paid by conducting an independent review of the data presented
609    by the tax creditapplicant. Accuracy and validity of costs
610    incurred and paid would be determined once the level of effort
611    was certified by an appropriate professional registered in this
612    state in each contributing technical discipline. The certified
613    public accountant's report would also attest that the costs
614    included in the application form are not duplicated within the
615    application. A copy of the accountant's report shall be
616    submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection with
617    the tax credit application; and
618          (d) A certification form stating that site rehabilitation
619    activities associated with the documentation submitted pursuant
620    to paragraph (b) have been conducted under the observation of,
621    and related technical documents have been signed and sealed by,
622    an appropriate professional registered in this state in each
623    contributing technical discipline. The certification form shall
624    be signed and sealed by the appropriate registered professionals
625    stating that the costs incurred were integral, necessary, and
626    required for site rehabilitation, as that term is defined in ss.
627    376.301 and 376.79.
628          (6) The certified public accountant and appropriate
629    registered professionals submitting forms as part of a tax
630    credit application must verify such forms. Verification must be
631    accomplished as provided in s. 92.525(1)(b) and subject to the
632    provisions of s. 92.525(3).
633          (7) The Department of Environmental Protection shall
634    review the tax credit application and any supplemental
635    documentation that the tax credit applicant may submit prior to
636    the annual application deadline in order to have the application
637    considered completesubmitted by each applicant, for the purpose
638    of verifying that the tax creditapplicant has met the
639    qualifying criteria in subsections (2) and (4) and has submitted
640    all required documentation listed in subsection (5). Upon
641    verification that the tax creditapplicant has met these
642    requirements, the department shall issue a written decision
643    granting eligibility for partial tax credits (a tax credit
644    certificate) in the amount of 35 percent of the total costs
645    claimed, subject to the $250,000 limitation, for the calendar
646    tax year forinwhich the tax credit application is submitted
647    based on the report of the certified public accountant and the
648    certifications from the appropriate registered technical
649    professionals.
650          (8) On or before March 1, the Department of Environmental
651    Protection shall inform each eligible tax creditapplicant of
652    the amount of its partial tax credit and provide each eligible
653    tax creditapplicant with a tax credit certificate that must be
654    submitted with its tax return to the Department of Revenue to
655    claim the tax credit or be transferred pursuant to s.
656    199.1055(1)(g) or s. 220.1845(1)(h). Credits will not result in
657    the payment of refunds if total credits exceed the amount of tax
658    owed.
659          (9) If a tax creditanapplicant does not receive a tax
660    credit allocation due to an exhaustion of the $2 million annual
661    tax credit authorization, such application will then be included
662    in the same first-come, first-served order in the next year's
663    annual tax credit allocation, if any, based on the prior year
664    application.
665          (10) The Department of Environmental Protection may adopt
666    rules to prescribe the necessary forms required to claim tax
667    credits under this section and to provide the administrative
668    guidelines and procedures required to administer this section.
669    Prior to the adoption of rules regulating the tax credit
670    application, the department shall, by September 1, 1998,
671    establish reasonable interim application requirements and forms.
672          (11) The Department of Environmental Protection may revoke
673    or modify any written decision granting eligibility for partial
674    tax credits under this section if it is discovered that the tax
675    credit applicant submitted any false statement, representation,
676    or certification in any application, record, report, plan, or
677    other document filed in an attempt to receive partial tax
678    credits under this section. The Department of Environmental
679    Protection shall immediately notify the Department of Revenue of
680    any revoked or modified orders affecting previously granted
681    partial tax credits. Additionally, the tax credit applicant
682    taxpayermust notify the Department of Revenue of any change in
683    its tax credit claimed.
684          (12) A tax credit applicantAn owner, operator, or real
685    property ownerwho receives state-funded site rehabilitation
686    under s. 376.3078(3) for rehabilitation of a drycleaning-
687    solvent-contaminated site is ineligible to receive a tax credit
688    under s. 199.1055 or s. 220.1845 for costs incurred by the tax
689    credit applicanttaxpayerin conjunction with the rehabilitation
690    of that site during the same time period that state-administered
691    site rehabilitation was underway.
692          Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
693         
694    ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T =================
695          Remove the entire title, and insert:
696 A bill to be entitled
697          An act relating to site rehabilitation of contaminated
698    sites; creating s. 376.30701, F.S.; extending application
699    of risk-based corrective action principles to all
700    contaminated sites resulting from a discharge of
701    pollutants or hazardous substances; providing for
702    contamination cleanup criteria that incorporate risk-based
703    corrective action principles to be adopted by rule;
704    providing clarification that cleanup criteria do not apply
705    to offsite relocation or treatment; providing the
706    conditions under which further rehabilitation may be
707    required; amending s. 199.1055, F.S.; clarifying who may
708    apply for tax credits; clarifying time period for use of
709    tax credits; amending s. 220.1845, F.S.; clarifying who
710    may apply for tax credits; clarifying time period for use
711    of tax credits; allowing taxpayers to claim credit on a
712    consolidated return up to the amount of the consolidated
713    group's tax liability; amending s. 376.30781, F.S.;
714    clarifying who may apply for tax credits; converting tax
715    credit application time period to calendar year; moving
716    application deadline to January 15; clarifying that
717    placeholder applications are prohibited; conforming
718    references governing transferability of tax credits;
719    eliminating outdated language; providing an effective
720    date.