Section 25395.81 Of Article 3. Liability From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.82. >> Article 3.
25395.81
. (a) Except as provided in Section 25395.85, and except as
otherwise provided under this section, a bona fide purchaser,
innocent landowner, or contiguous property owner who did not cause or
contribute to the release at the site, qualifies for the following
immunities:
(1) The bona fide purchaser, innocent landowner, or contiguous
property owner is not liable under any applicable statute for a claim
made by any person, other than an agency, for response costs or
other damages associated with a release or threatened release of a
hazardous material at the site characterized in the site assessment
conducted pursuant to, or a response plan approved pursuant to,
Article 6 (commencing with Section 25395.90).
(2) An agency shall not take an action under an applicable statute
to require a bona fide purchaser, innocent landowner, or contiguous
property owner to take a response action, other than a response
action required in an approved response plan, with respect to the
hazardous material release at a site that is characterized in the
site assessment conducted pursuant to, or a response plan approved
pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 25395.90), unless both
of the following conditions apply:
(A) The conditions on the property pose an endangerment.
(B) The agency does one of the following:
(i) Makes all reasonable efforts, including taking appropriate
administrative enforcement actions, to compel any necessary response
action from other potentially responsible parties, and those efforts
have been unsuccessful.
(ii) Reasonably determines, after the exercise of reasonable
inquiry, that no potentially responsible party exists with sufficient
financial resources to perform the required response action at the
site.
(b) This section does not modify or limit the existing authority
of a state or local agency to impose a condition on the issuance of a
discretionary permit relating to the development, use, or occupancy
of any site.
(c) The immunities described in this section shall attach when the
bona fide purchaser, innocent landowner, or contiguous property
owner enters into an agreement with an agency pursuant to Section
25395.92 and shall remain in effect unless one of the following
occurs:
(1) The bona fide purchaser, innocent landowner, or contiguous
property owner receives a written notice of an unapproved, material
deviation from the agreement from the agency.
(2) The bona fide purchaser, innocent landowner, or contiguous
property owner or an agency terminates the agreement before a finding
of no further action is made pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
25395.95 or a certificate of completion is issued pursuant to Section
25395.97.
(d) A person who otherwise qualifies for immunity under this
chapter and who commits fraud, intentional nondisclosure, or
misrepresentation to an agency with respect to any requirement of
this chapter, does not qualify as a bona fide purchaser, innocent
landowner, or contiguous property owner.
(e) This section does not relieve a bona fide purchaser, innocent
landowner or contiguous property owner from reporting, disclosure and
notification requirements under any applicable statute.