§ 143-215.104T.  (This Part has an expiration date - see notes) Construction of this Part.

(a) This Part is not intended to and shall not be construed to:

(1) Affect the ability of local governments to regulate land use under Chapter 160D of the General Statutes. The use of the identified contamination site and any land-use restrictions in the dry-cleaning solvent remediation agreement shall be consistent with local land-use controls adopted under those statutes.

(2) Amend, modify, repeal, or otherwise alter any provision of any remedial program or other provision of law relating to civil and criminal penalties or enforcement actions and remedies available to the Department, except as may be provided in a dry-cleaning solvent remediation agreement.

(3) Prevent or impede the immediate response of the Department or responsible party to an emergency that involves an imminent or actual release of a regulated substance that threatens public health or the environment.

(4) Relieve a person receiving liability protection under this Part from any liability for contamination later caused by that person at a facility or abandoned site.

(5) Affect the right of any person to seek any relief available against any party to the dry-cleaning solvent remediation agreement who may have liability with respect to the facility or abandoned site, except that this Part does limit the relief available against any party to a remediation agreement with respect to assessment or remediation of the contamination site to the assessment remediation required under the remediation agreement.

(6) Affect the right of any person who may have liability with respect to the facility or abandoned site to seek contribution from any other person who may have liability with respect to the facility or abandoned site and who neither received nor has liability protection under this Part.

(7) Prevent the State from enforcing specific numerical remediation standards, monitoring, or compliance requirements specifically required to be enforced by the federal government as condition to receive program authorization, delegation, primacy, or federal funds.

(8) Create a defense against the imposition of criminal and civil fines or penalties or administrative penalties otherwise authorized by law and imposed as the result of the illegal disposal of waste or from the pollution of the land, air, or waters of this State on a facility or abandoned site.

(9) Relieve a person of any liability for failure to exercise due diligence and reasonable care in performing an environmental assessment or transaction screen.

(b) Notwithstanding the provision of the Tort Claims Act, G.S. 143-291 through G.S. 143-300.1 or any other provision of law waiving the sovereign immunity of the State of North Carolina, the State, its agencies, officers, employees, and agents shall be absolutely immune from any liability in any proceeding for any injury or claim arising from negotiating, entering into, implementing, monitoring, or enforcing a dry-cleaning solvent assessment agreement, a dry-cleaning solvent remediation agreement, or a Notice of Dry-Cleaning Solvent Remediation under this Part or any other action implementing this Part. (1997-392, s. 1; 2007-530, s. 12; 2022-62, s. 36.)