[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Trenton 9-7-1967 as § 3-30 of the Revised General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter is enacted pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:69A-29, to supplement the provisions of N.J.S.A. 58:10-23.11a et seq.
The Trenton Fire Department has been required to respond to an increasing number of hazardous materials incidents. These responses can involve substantial expenditures. The purpose of this chapter is to insure that the City is financially able to respond to hazardous materials incidents by requiring the person or entity who causes discharge of hazardous materials to reimburse the City for the expenditures made in responding to that incident.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CONTROL AND CLEANUP COSTS
The cost to the City to extinguish or prevent any hazardous materials fire or stop, contain or control any discharge of hazardous materials. Such costs shall include the replacement cost of any materials used, the wages, regular or overtime, paid to City employees, agents or servants as a result of a discharge of hazardous materials, the cost of medical and hospital treatment for injuries incurred by employees, agents or servants of the City as a result of such discharge, and the cost for any services rendered by any recovery company, towing company or any other technical assistance called for by the City to handle such incident.
DISCHARGE
Any intentional or unintentional action or omission resulting in the releasing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying or dumping of hazardous substances into any waters which flow within the jurisdiction of the City or upon any land within the jurisdiction of the City.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Any material, solid, liquid or gas, listed as such under the NFPA Guide of Hazardous Materials, the Department of Transportation Guide Book, the list of hazardous substances adopted by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to Section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendment of 1972, as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977, (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.) and the list of toxic pollutants designated by Congress or the EPA pursuant to Section 307 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and any hospital or medical waste, including, but not limited to, syringes, bandages and discarded pharmaceutical products.
Any person or entity who causes or permits the discharge of hazardous materials shall be strictly liable, jointly and severally, without regard to fault, for all control and cleanup costs incurred by the City.
Any person or entity liable for control and cleanup costs pursuant to this chapter shall reimburse the City the entire amount of such costs within 45 days after receipt of the bill.
Any funds collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in a hazardous materials fund account, and shall be used to replace all materials and supplies used by the City in the cleanup, to set off the cost of salaries in the regular or overtime account, and to pay any and all other costs incurred as a result of the discharge of hazardous materials.
Any person or entity who fails to reimburse the City the entire amount of the control and cleanup costs within 45 days after receipt of the bill shall be subject to the penalties provided in Chapter 1, Article III, General Penalty.