Section 25299.57.

(a) If the board makes the determination specified in subdivision (d), the board may only pay for the costs of a corrective action that exceed the level of financial responsibility required to be obtained pursuant to Section 25299.32, but not more than one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) for each occurrence. In the case of an owner or operator who, as of January 1, 1988, was required to perform corrective action, who initiated that corrective action in accordance with Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code or Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280), and who is undertaking the corrective action in compliance with waste discharge requirements or other orders issued pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code or Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280), the owner or operator may apply to the board for satisfaction of a claim filed pursuant to this article. The board shall notify claimants applying for satisfaction of claims from the fund of eligibility for reimbursement in a prompt and timely manner and that a letter of credit or commitment that will obligate funds for reimbursement shall follow the notice of eligibility as soon thereafter as possible.

(b) (1) For claims eligible for reimbursement pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 25299.55, the claimant shall submit the actual cost of corrective action to the board, which shall either approve or disapprove the costs incurred as reasonable and necessary. At least 15 days before the board proposes to disapprove the reimbursement of corrective action costs that have been incurred on the grounds that the costs were unreasonable or unnecessary, the board shall issue a notice advising the claimant and the lead agency of the proposed disallowance, to allow review and comment.

(2) The board shall not reject any actual costs of corrective action in a claim solely on the basis that the invoices submitted fail to sufficiently detail the actual costs incurred, if all of the following apply:

(A) Auxiliary documentation is provided that documents to the board's satisfaction that the invoice is for necessary corrective action work.

(B) The costs of corrective action work in the claim are reasonably commensurate with similar corrective action work performed during the same time period covered by the invoice for which reimbursement is sought.

(C) The invoices include a brief description of the work performed, the date that the work was performed, the vendor, and the amount.

(c) (1) For claims eligible for prepayment pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 25299.55, the claimant shall submit the estimated cost of the corrective action to the board, which shall approve or disapprove the reasonableness of the cost estimate.

(2) If the claim is for reimbursement of costs incurred pursuant to a performance-based contract, Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 25299.64) shall apply to that claim.

(d) Except as provided in subdivision (j), a claim specified in subdivision (a) may be paid if the board makes all of the following findings:

(1) There has been an unauthorized release of petroleum into the environment from an underground storage tank.

(2) The claimant is required to undertake or contract for corrective action pursuant to Section 25296.10, under the federal act, or under Section 6973 of Title 42 of the United States Code, or, as of January 1, 1988, the claimant has initiated corrective action in accordance with Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code.

(3) The claimant has complied with Section 25299.31.

(4) (A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (F), the claimant has complied with the permit requirements of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280). A claimant shall obtain a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim when the claimant becomes subject to subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or when the applicable local agency begins issuing permits pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25284, whichever occurs later.

(B) A claimant who acquires real property on which an underground storage tank is situated and, despite the exercise of reasonable diligence, was unaware of the existence of the underground storage tank when the real property was acquired, has obtained a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim within a reasonable period, not to exceed one year, from when the claimant should have become aware of the existence of the underground storage tank, or when the applicable local agency began issuing permits pursuant to Section 25284, whichever occurs later.

(C) All claimants who file their claim on or after January 1, 2008, and who do not obtain a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) may seek a waiver of the requirement to obtain a permit. The board shall waive the provisions of subparagraphs (A) and (B) as a condition for payment from the fund if the board finds all of the following:

(i) The claimant was unaware of the permit requirement, and upon becoming aware of the permit requirement, the claimant complies with either subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or Section 25298 and the regulations adopted to implement those sections within a reasonable period, not to exceed one year, from when the claimant became aware of the permit requirement.

(ii) Prior to submittal of the application to the fund, the claimant has complied with Section 25299.31 and has obtained and paid for all permits currently required by this paragraph.

(iii) Prior to submittal of the application to the fund, the claimant has paid all fees, interest, and penalties imposed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 25299.40) of this chapter and Part 26 (commencing with Section 50101) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim.

(D) (i) A claimant exempted pursuant to subparagraph (C) and who has complied, on or before December 22, 1998, either with subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or Section 25298 and the regulations adopted to implement those sections, shall obtain a level of financial responsibility twice as great as the amount that the claimant is otherwise required to obtain pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25299.32, but not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). All other claimants exempted pursuant to subparagraph (C) shall obtain a level of financial responsibility that is four times as great as the amount that the claimant is otherwise required to obtain pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25299.32, but not less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).

(ii) The board may waive the requirements of clause (i) if the claimant can demonstrate that the conditions specified in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (C) were satisfied prior to the causing of any contamination. That demonstration may be made through a certification issued by the permitting agency based on a site evaluation and tank tests at the time of permit application or in any other manner acceptable to the board.

(E) All claimants who file a claim before January 1, 2008, and who are not eligible for a waiver of the permit requirements pursuant to applicable statutes or regulations in effect on the date of the filing of the claim may resubmit a new claim pursuant to subparagraph (C) on or after January 1, 2008. The board shall rank all claims resubmitted pursuant to subparagraph (C) lower than all claims filed before January 1, 2008, within their respective priority classes specified in subdivision (b) of Section 25299.52.

(F) The board shall waive the provisions of subparagraph (A) as a condition for payment from the fund for a claimant who filed his or her claim on or after January 1, 2008, and before July 1, 2009, but is not eligible for a waiver of the permit requirement pursuant to the regulations adopted by the board in effect on the date of the filing of the claim, and who did not obtain or apply for a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284, if the board finds all of the following:

(i) The claim is filed pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 25299.54 and the claim otherwise satisfies the eligibility requirements of that paragraph.

(ii) The claimant became the owner or de facto owner of an underground storage tank prior to December 22, 1998.

(iii) The claimant did not, and does not, operate the underground storage tank.

(iv) Within three years after becoming the owner or de facto owner of the underground storage tank but not after December 22, 1998, the claimant caused the underground storage tank to be removed and closed in accordance with applicable law, and commenced no later than December 22, 1998, to perform corrective action pursuant to Section 25296.10 of this code or pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code.

(G) The board shall rank all claims submitted pursuant to subparagraph (F) in their respective priority classes specified in subdivision (b) of Section 25299.52 in the order in which the claims are received by the board, but subsequent to any claim filed on a previous date in each of those priority classes.

(H) For purposes of clauses (ii) and (iv) of subparagraph (F), "de facto owner of an underground storage tank" means a person who purchases or otherwise acquires real property, as defined in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (h) of Section 25299.54, and has actual possession of, and control over, an underground storage tank that has been abandoned by its previous owner.

(5) The board has approved either the costs incurred for the corrective action pursuant to subdivision (b) or the estimated costs for corrective action pursuant to subdivision (c).

(6) The claimant has paid all fees, interest, and penalties imposed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 29299.40) and Part 26 (commencing with Section 50101) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim.

(e) The board shall provide the claimant, whose cost estimate has been approved, a letter of commitment authorizing payment of the costs from the fund.

(f) The claimant may submit a request for partial payment to cover the costs of corrective action performed in stages, as approved by the board.

(g) (1) A claimant who submits a claim for payment to the board shall submit multiple bids for prospective costs as prescribed in regulations adopted by the board pursuant to Section 25299.77.

(2) A claimant who submits a claim to the board for the payment of professional engineering and geologic work shall submit multiple proposals and fee estimates, as required by the regulations adopted by the board pursuant to Section 25299.77. The claimant's selection of the provider of these services is not required to be based on the lowest estimated fee, if the fee estimate conforms with the range of acceptable costs established by the board.

(3) A claimant who submits a claim for payment to the board for remediation construction contracting work shall submit multiple bids, as required in the regulations adopted by the board pursuant to Section 25299.77.

(4) Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) do not apply to a tank owned or operated by a public agency if the prospective costs are for private professional services within the meaning of Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 4525) of Division 5 of Title 1 of the Government Code and those services are procured in accordance with the requirements of that chapter.

(h) The board shall provide, upon the request of a claimant, assistance to the claimant in the selection of contractors retained by the claimant to conduct reimbursable work related to corrective actions. The board shall develop a summary of expected costs for common corrective actions. This summary of expected costs may be used by claimants as a guide in the selection and supervision of consultants and contractors.

(i) (1) To the extent funding is available, the board shall pay, within 60 days from the date of receipt of an invoice of expenditures, all costs specified in the work plan developed pursuant to Section 25296.10, and all costs that are otherwise necessary to comply with an order issued by a local, state, or federal agency.

(2) If corrective action costs, third-party compensation costs, or regulatory technical assistance costs submitted by a claimant are approved for reimbursement by the board but funding is not available for payment to the claimant at the time of approval, the board shall reimburse carrying costs incurred by the claimant after November 7, 2008, but before June 30, 2010, subject to all of the following limitations:

(A) The reimbursement for carrying costs shall not exceed the carrying costs actually incurred by the claimant from the date the corrective action costs, third-party compensation costs, or regulatory technical assistance costs are approved for payment by the board until the date that a check for the reimbursement request is issued by the Controller.

(B) The reimbursement for carrying costs shall not exceed an amount equivalent to a maximum annual percentage rate of 7 percent as applied to the amount approved for reimbursement and for the period calculated pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(C) The board shall not reimburse carrying costs that amount to less than one hundred dollars ($100) per reimbursement request.

(D) The board shall not reimburse carrying costs that exceed 9 percent of the total amount of costs approved for the reimbursement to which the carrying costs apply.

(E) A claimant may submit a request for reimbursement of carrying costs after receipt of fund reimbursement for the corrective action costs, third-party compensation costs, or regulatory technical assistance costs to which the carrying costs apply. Additional carrying costs associated with a reimbursement request for carrying costs submitted pursuant to this paragraph are not eligible for payment.

(F) This paragraph does not apply to tank owners or operators that are not described in paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 25299.52.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), "carrying cost" means the interest expense incurred by a claimant to acquire money to pay costs approved for reimbursement by the board but for which reimbursement is delayed because funds are unavailable.

(j) (1) The board shall pay a claim of not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) per occurrence for regulatory technical assistance to an owner or operator who is otherwise eligible for reimbursement under this chapter.

(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, regulatory technical assistance is limited to assistance from a person, other than the claimant, in the preparation and submission of a claim to the fund. Regulatory technical assistance does not include assistance in connection with proceedings under Section 25296.40, 25299.39.2, or 25299.56 or any action in court.

(k) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the board shall pay a claim for the costs of corrective action to a person who owns property on which is located a release from a petroleum underground storage tank that has been the subject of a completed corrective action and for which additional corrective action is required because of additionally discovered contamination from the previous release, only if the person who carried out the earlier and completed corrective action was eligible for, and applied for, reimbursement pursuant to subdivision (b), and only to the extent that the amount of reimbursement for the earlier corrective action did not exceed the amount of reimbursement authorized by subdivision (a). Reimbursement to a claimant on a reopened site shall occur when funds are available, and reimbursement commitment shall be made ahead of any new letters of commitment to be issued, as of the date of the reopening of the claim, if funding has occurred on the original claim, in which case funding shall occur at the time it would have occurred under the original claim.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, a corrective action is completed when the local agency or regional board with jurisdiction over the site or the board issues a closure letter pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 25296.10.

(l) (1) Claims for reimbursement of corrective action costs that are received by the board more than 365 days after the date of issuance of a closure letter issued pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 25296.10 or after the issuance or activation of a letter of commitment, whichever occurs later, shall not be reimbursed unless either of the following applies:

(A) Claims for corrective action costs are submitted to the board pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (k).

(B) The board finds that submission within the time period specified in this paragraph was beyond the claimant's reasonable control, ongoing work is required for closure that will result in submission of claims beyond that time period, or that under the circumstances of the particular case, it would be unreasonable or inequitable to impose the time period specified in this paragraph.

(2) This section does not limit or abrogate the rights of a claimant in disputing reimbursement determinations or suspension of claims.

(3) For cases that have been issued a closure letter pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 25296.10 prior to January 1, 2012, the board shall notify claimants of the 365-day filing deadline specified in paragraph (1) on or before March 31, 2012, or upon issuance of a letter of commitment, whichever occurs later.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 571, Sec. 6. Effective October 8, 2011. Operative October 8, 2011, by Sec. 9 of Ch. 571. Repealed as of January 1, 2016, pursuant to Section 25299.81.)