Part 104



104.000 COST RECOVERY; HAZARDOUS

WASTE CLEAN-UP

Ord. No. 80

Adopted: January 14, 1997

An ordinance to establish charges for Reading Community Fire Department emergency services responding to an incident involving hazardous materials under Public Act 102 of 1990 (MCL41.806a) and to provide methods for the collection of such charges..

THE CITY OF READING, HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN AND THE TOWNSHIP OF READING, HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, ORDAINS:

104.001 Purpose.

Sec. 1. In order to protect the Reading Community Fire Department from incurring extraordinary expenses resulting from the utilization of Reading Community Fire Department resources to respond to an incident involving hazardous material, the Reading City Council and the Reading Township Board authorizes the imposition of charges to recover reasonable and actual costs incurred by the Reading Community Fire Department in responding to calls for assistance in connection with a hazardous materials release.

104.002 "Hazardous materials" defined.

Sec. 2. For purposes of this ordinance, "Hazardous materials" include, but are not limited to a chemical that is a combustible liquid, a flammable gas, explosive, an organic peroxide, an oxidizer, pyrophoric, unstable reactive or water reactive.

104.003 "Release" defined.

Sec. 3. Any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, leaching, dumping or disposing into the environment.

104.004 "Responsibility party" defined.

Sec. 4. Any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, commercial entity, consortium, joint venture, government entity or any other legal entity that is responsible for a release of hazardous material, either actual or threatened, or is an owner, tenant, occupant or party in control of property onto which or from which hazardous materials release.

104.005 Charges imposed upon responsible party.

Sec. 5. Where the Reading Community Fire Department responds to a call for assistance in connection with a hazardous material release, actual costs incurred by the Fire Department responding to such a call shall be imposed upon responsible parties, including, but not limited to:

A. $100[.00] per hour, or fraction thereof, for each pumper required, in the opinion of the officer in command, to stand by at the hazardous materials incident. For each hour, or fraction thereof, that the pumps are activated, an additional sum of $100.00 per hour shall be charged.

B. $100[.00] per hour, or fraction thereof, for each water tender required, in the opinion of the officer in command, to be utilized in responding to a hazardous materials incident.

C. $50[.00] per hour, or fraction thereof, for each additional Reading Community Fire Department owned vehicle required, in the opinion of the officer in command, to be utilized in responding to the hazardous materials incident.

D. All personnel-related costs incurred by the Reading Community Fire Department as a result of responding to the hazardous materials incident. Such costs may include, but are not limited to, wages, salaries and fringe benefits and insurance for full time and part time fire fighters; overtime pay and related fringe benefit costs for hourly employees, and fire run fees paid to on call fire fighters. Such personnel-related charges shall commence after the first hour that the fire department has responded to the hazardous materials incident and shall continue until all fire department personnel have concluded hazardous materials incident-related responsibilities.

E. Other expenses incurred by the Reading Community Fire Department in responding to the hazardous materials incident, including but not limited to, rental or purchase of machinery, equipment, labor, consultants, legal and engineering fees, and the replacement costs related to disposable personal protective equipment, extinguishing agents, supplies, water purchased from municipal water systems and meals and refreshments for personnel while responding to the hazardous materials incident.

F. Charges to the Reading Community Fire Department imposed by any local, state or federal government entities related to the hazardous materials incident.

G. Costs incurred in accounting for all hazardous material incident-related expenditures, including billing and collection costs.

104.006 Billing procedures.

Sec. 6. Following the conclusion of the hazardous materials incident, the fire chief shall submit a detailed listing of all known expenses to the fire department treasurer, who shall prepare an invoice to the responsible party for payment. The Treasurer's invoice shall demand full payment within thirty (30) days of receipt of the bill. Any additional expenses that become known to the Reading Community Fire Department fire chief following the transmittal of the bill to the responsible party shall be billed in the same manner on a subsequent bill to the response party.

For any amounts due that remain unpaid after thirty (30) days, the Reading Community Fire Department shall impose a late charge of one percent (1%) per month or fraction thereof.

104.007. Other remedies.

Sec. 7. The Reading Community Fire Department may pursue any other remedy or may institute any appropriate action or proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction to collect charges imposed under this ordinance. The recovery of charges imposed under this ordinance does not limit the liability of responsible parties under local ordinance or state or federal law, rule or regulation.

104.008 Severability.

Sec. 8. Should any provision or part of the within ordinance be declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, the same shall not effect [affect] the validity or enforceability of the balance of this ordinance which shall remain in full force and effect.

104.009 Effective date.

Sec. 9. This ordinance shall take effect immediately. All ordinances in conflict are hereby repealed.