SB-0718, As Passed Senate, October 15, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 718

 

 

September 23, 2003, Introduced by Senators CASSIS, SWITALSKI, KUIPERS, CROPSEY, TOY, ALLEN, GARCIA, BIRKHOLZ, BISHOP and BARCIA and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1996 PA 381, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Brownfield redevelopment financing act,"                                   

                                                                                

    by amending section 15 (MCL 125.2665), as amended by 2002 PA                

                                                                                

    727.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 15.  (1) An authority shall not do any of the                          

                                                                                

2   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

3       (a) For eligible activities not described in section 13(15),                

                                                                                

4   use taxes levied for school operating purposes captured from                

                                                                                

5   eligible property unless the eligible activities to be conducted            

                                                                                

6   on the eligible property are eligible activities under part 201             

                                                                                

7   of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994             

                                                                                

8   PA 451, MCL 324.20101 to 324.20142, consistent with a work plan             

                                                                                

9   or remedial action plan approved by the department after July 24,           

                                                                                

10  1996 and before January 1, 2008.                                            

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (b) For eligible activities not described in section 13(15),                

                                                                                

2   use funds from a local site remediation revolving fund that are             

                                                                                

3   derived from taxes levied for school operating purposes unless              

                                                                                

4   the eligible activities to be conducted are eligible activities             

                                                                                

5   under part 201 of the natural resources and environmental                   

                                                                                

6   protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.20101 to 324.20142,                    

                                                                                

7   consistent with a work plan or remedial action plan that has been           

                                                                                

8   approved by the department after July 24, 1996.                             

                                                                                

9       (c) Use funds from a local site remediation revolving fund                  

                                                                                

10  created pursuant to section 8 that are derived from taxes levied            

                                                                                

11  for school operating purposes for the eligible activities                   

                                                                                

12  described in section 13(15) unless the eligible activities to be            

                                                                                

13  conducted are consistent with a work plan approved by the                   

                                                                                

14  Michigan economic growth authority.                                         

                                                                                

15      (d) Use taxes captured from eligible property to pay for                    

                                                                                

16  eligible activities conducted before approval of the brownfield             

                                                                                

17  plan except for costs described in section 13(16).                          

                                                                                

18      (e) Use taxes levied for school operating purposes captured                 

                                                                                

19  from eligible property for response activities that benefit a               

                                                                                

20  party, except for a municipality that established the authority,            

                                                                                

21  that is liable under section 20126 of the natural resources and             

                                                                                

22  environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.20126.                   

                                                                                

23      (f) Use taxes captured from eligible property to pay for                    

                                                                                

24  administrative and operating activities of the authority or the             

                                                                                

25  municipality on behalf of the authority except for costs                    

                                                                                

26  described in section 13(16) and for the reasonable costs for                

                                                                                

27  preparing a work plan or remedial action plan for the eligible              


                                                                                

1   property, including the actual cost of the review of the work               

                                                                                

2   plan or remedial action plan under this section.                            

                                                                                

3       (2) To seek department approval of a work plan under                        

                                                                                

4   subsection (1)(a) or (b) or remedial action plan, the authority             

                                                                                

5   shall submit all of the following for each eligible property:               

                                                                                

6       (a) A copy of the brownfield plan.                                          

                                                                                

7       (b) Current ownership information for each eligible property                

                                                                                

8   and a summary of available information on proposed future                   

                                                                                

9   ownership, including the amount of any delinquent taxes,                    

                                                                                

10  interest, and penalties that may be due.                                    

                                                                                

11      (c) A summary of available information on the historical and                

                                                                                

12  current use of each eligible property, including a brief summary            

                                                                                

13  of site conditions and what is known about environmental                    

                                                                                

14  contamination as that term is defined in section 20101 of the               

                                                                                

15  natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451,            

                                                                                

16  MCL 324.20101.                                                              

                                                                                

17      (d) Existing and proposed future zoning for each eligible                   

                                                                                

18  property.                                                                   

                                                                                

19      (e) A brief summary of the proposed redevelopment and future                

                                                                                

20  use for each eligible property.                                             

                                                                                

21      (f) A separate work plan or remedial action plan, or part of                

                                                                                

22  a work plan or remedial action plan, for each eligible activity             

                                                                                

23  to be undertaken.                                                           

                                                                                

24      (3) Upon receipt of a request for approval of a work plan or                

                                                                                

25  remedial action plan under subsection (2) that pertains to                  

                                                                                

26  baseline environmental assessment activities or due care                    

                                                                                

27  activities, or both, or a portion of a work plan or remedial                


                                                                                

1   action plan that pertains to only baseline environmental                    

                                                                                

2   assessment activities or due care activities, or both, the                  

                                                                                

3   department shall provide 1 of the following written responses to            

                                                                                

4   the requesting authority within 60 days:                                    

                                                                                

5       (a) An unconditional approval.                                              

                                                                                

6       (b) A conditional approval that delineates specific necessary               

                                                                                

7   modifications to the work plan or remedial action plan,                     

                                                                                

8   including, but not limited to, individual activities to be added            

                                                                                

9   or deleted from the work plan or remedial action plan and                   

                                                                                

10  revision of costs.                                                          

                                                                                

11      (c) If the work plan or remedial action plan lacks sufficient               

                                                                                

12  information for the department to respond under subdivision (a)             

                                                                                

13  or (b), a letter stating with specificity the necessary additions           

                                                                                

14  or changes to the work plan or remedial action plan to be                   

                                                                                

15  submitted before a plan will be considered by the department.               

                                                                                

16      (4) In its review of a work plan or remedial action plan, the               

                                                                                

17  department shall consider all of the following:                             

                                                                                

18      (a) Whether the individual activities included in the work                  

                                                                                

19  plan or remedial action plan are sufficient to complete the                 

                                                                                

20  eligible activity.                                                          

                                                                                

21      (b) Whether each individual activity included in the work                   

                                                                                

22  plan or remedial action plan is required to complete the eligible           

                                                                                

23  activity.                                                                   

                                                                                

24      (c) Whether the cost for each individual activity is                        

                                                                                

25  reasonable.                                                                 

                                                                                

26      (5) If the department fails to provide a written response                   

                                                                                

27  under subsection (3) within 60 days after receipt of a request              


                                                                                

1   for approval of a work plan or remedial action plan that pertains           

                                                                                

2   to baseline environmental assessment activities or due care                 

                                                                                

3   activities, or both, the authority may proceed with the baseline            

                                                                                

4   environmental assessment activities or due care activities, or              

                                                                                

5   both, as outlined in the work plan or remedial action plan as               

                                                                                

6   submitted for approval.  Except as provided in subsection (6),              

                                                                                

7   baseline environmental assessment activities or due care                    

                                                                                

8   activities, or both, conducted pursuant to a work plan or                   

                                                                                

9   remedial action plan that was submitted to the department for               

                                                                                

10  approval but for which the department failed to provide a written           

                                                                                

11  response under subsection (3) shall be considered approved for              

                                                                                

12  the purposes of subsection (1).                                             

                                                                                

13      (6) The department may issue a written response to a work                   

                                                                                

14  plan or remedial action plan that pertains to baseline                      

                                                                                

15  environmental assessment activities or due care activities, or              

                                                                                

16  both, more than 60 days but less than 6 months after receipt of a           

                                                                                

17  request for approval.  If the department issues a written                   

                                                                                

18  response under this subsection, the authority is not required to            

                                                                                

19  conduct individual activities that are in addition to the                   

                                                                                

20  individual activities included in the work plan or remedial                 

                                                                                

21  action plan as it was submitted for approval and failure to                 

                                                                                

22  conduct these additional activities shall not affect the                    

                                                                                

23  authority's ability to capture taxes under subsection (1) for the           

                                                                                

24  eligible activities described in the work plan or remedial action           

                                                                                

25  plan initially submitted under subsection (5).  In addition, at             

                                                                                

26  the option of the authority, these additional individual                    

                                                                                

27  activities shall be considered part of the work plan or remedial            


                                                                                

1   action plan of the authority and approved for purposes of                   

                                                                                

2   subsection (1).  However, any response by the department under              

                                                                                

3   this subsection that identifies additional individual activities            

                                                                                

4   that must be carried out to satisfy the baseline environmental              

                                                                                

5   assessment or due care requirements, or both, of part 201 of the            

                                                                                

6   natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451,            

                                                                                

7   MCL 324.20101 to 324.20142, must be satisfactorily completed for            

                                                                                

8   the baseline environmental assessment or due care activities, or            

                                                                                

9   both, to be considered acceptable for the purposes of compliance            

                                                                                

10  with part 201 of the natural resources and environmental                    

                                                                                

11  protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.20101 to 324.20142.                    

                                                                                

12      (7) If the department issues a written response under                       

                                                                                

13  subsection (6) to a work plan or remedial action plan that                  

                                                                                

14  pertains to baseline environmental assessment activities or due             

                                                                                

15  care activities, or both, and if the department's written                   

                                                                                

16  response modifies an individual activity proposed by the work               

                                                                                

17  plan or remedial action plan of the authority in a manner that              

                                                                                

18  reduces or eliminates a proposed response activity, the authority           

                                                                                

19  must complete those individual activities included in the                   

                                                                                

20  baseline environmental assessment or due care activities, or                

                                                                                

21  both, in accordance with the department's response in order for             

                                                                                

22  that portion of the work plan or remedial action plan to be                 

                                                                                

23  considered approved for purposes of subsection (1), unless 1 or             

                                                                                

24  more of the following conditions apply:                                     

                                                                                

25      (a) Obligations for the individual activity have been issued                

                                                                                

26  by the authority, or by a municipality on behalf of the                     

                                                                                

27  authority, to fund the individual activity prior to issuance of             


                                                                                

1   the department's response.                                                  

                                                                                

2       (b) The individual activity has commenced or payment for the                

                                                                                

3   work has been irrevocably obligated prior to issuance of the                

                                                                                

4   department's response.                                                      

                                                                                

5       (8) It shall be in the sole discretion of an authority to                   

                                                                                

6   propose to undertake additional response activities at an                   

                                                                                

7   eligible property under a brownfield plan.  The department shall            

                                                                                

8   not require a work plan or remedial action plan for either                  

                                                                                

9   baseline environmental assessment activities or due care                    

                                                                                

10  activities, or both, to include additional response activities.             

                                                                                

11      (9) The department may reject the portion of a work plan or                 

                                                                                

12  remedial action plan that includes additional response activities           

                                                                                

13  and may consider the level of risk reduction that will be                   

                                                                                

14  accomplished by the additional response activities in determining           

                                                                                

15  whether to approve or reject the work plan or remedial action               

                                                                                

16  plan or a portion of a plan.                                                

                                                                                

17      (10) The department's approval or rejection of a work plan                  

                                                                                

18  under subsection (1)(a) or (b) or remedial action plan for                  

                                                                                

19  additional response activities is final.                                    

                                                                                

20      (11) The authority shall reimburse the department for the                   

                                                                                

21  actual cost incurred by the department or a contractor of the               

                                                                                

22  department to review a work plan under subsection (1)(a) or (b)             

                                                                                

23  or remedial action plan under this section.  Funds paid to the              

                                                                                

24  department under this subsection shall be deposited in the cost             

                                                                                

25  recovery subaccount of the cleanup and redevelopment fund created           

                                                                                

26  under section 20108 of the natural resources and environmental              

                                                                                

27  protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.20108.                                 


                                                                                

1       (12) The department shall submit a report each year on or                   

                                                                                

2   before March 1 to each member of the legislature that contains              

                                                                                

3   all of the following:                                                       

                                                                                

4       (a) A compilation and summary of all the information                        

                                                                                

5   submitted under subsection (2).                                             

                                                                                

6       (b) The amount of revenue this state would have received if                 

                                                                                

7   taxes levied for school operating purposes had not been captured            

                                                                                

8   under this section for the previous calendar year.                          

                                                                                

9       (c) The amount of revenue each local governmental unit would                

                                                                                

10  have received if taxes levied for school operating purposes had             

                                                                                

11  not been captured under this section for the previous calendar              

                                                                                

12  year.                                                                       

                                                                                

13      (13) To seek Michigan economic growth authority approval of a               

                                                                                

14  work plan under subsection (1)(c) or section 13(15), the                    

                                                                                

15  authority shall submit all of the following for each eligible               

                                                                                

16  property:                                                                   

                                                                                

17      (a) A copy of the brownfield plan.                                          

                                                                                

18      (b) Current ownership information for each eligible property                

                                                                                

19  and a summary of available information on proposed future                   

                                                                                

20  ownership, including the amount of any delinquent taxes,                    

                                                                                

21  interest, and penalties that may be due.                                    

                                                                                

22      (c) A summary of available information on the historical and                

                                                                                

23  current use of each eligible property.                                      

                                                                                

24      (d) Existing and proposed future zoning for each eligible                   

                                                                                

25  property.                                                                   

                                                                                

26      (e) A brief summary of the proposed redevelopment and future                

                                                                                

27  use for each eligible property.                                             


                                                                                

1       (f) A separate work plan, or part of a work plan, for each                  

                                                                                

2   eligible activity described in section 13(15) to be undertaken.             

                                                                                

3       (g) A copy of the development agreement required under                      

                                                                                

4   section 13(15), which shall include, but is not limited to, a               

                                                                                

5   detailed summary of any and all ownership interests, monetary               

                                                                                

6   considerations, fees, revenue and cost sharing, charges, or other           

                                                                                

7   financial arrangements or other consideration between the                   

                                                                                

8   parties.                                                                    

                                                                                

9       (14) Upon receipt of a request for approval of a work plan,                 

                                                                                

10  the Michigan economic growth authority shall provide 1 of the               

                                                                                

11  following written responses to the requesting authority within 65           

                                                                                

12  days:                                                                       

                                                                                

13      (a) An unconditional approval that includes an enumeration of               

                                                                                

14  eligible activities and a maximum allowable capture amount.                 

                                                                                

15      (b) A conditional approval that delineates specific necessary               

                                                                                

16  modifications to the work plan, including, but not limited to,              

                                                                                

17  individual activities to be added or deleted from the work plan             

                                                                                

18  and revision of costs.                                                      

                                                                                

19      (c) A denial and a letter stating with specificity the reason               

                                                                                

20  for the denial.  If a work plan is denied under this subsection,            

                                                                                

21  the work plan may be subsequently resubmitted.                              

                                                                                

22      (15) In its review of a work plan under subsection (1)(c) or                

                                                                                

23  section 13(15), the Michigan economic growth authority shall                

                                                                                

24  consider the following criteria to the extent reasonably                    

                                                                                

25  applicable to the type of activities proposed as part of that               

                                                                                

26  work plan when approving or denying a work plan:                            

                                                                                

27      (a) Whether the individual activities included in the work                  


                                                                                

1   plan are sufficient to complete the eligible activity.                      

                                                                                

2       (b) Whether each individual activity included in the work                   

                                                                                

3   plan is required to complete the eligible activity.                         

                                                                                

4       (c) Whether the cost for each individual activity is                        

                                                                                

5   reasonable.                                                                 

                                                                                

6       (d) The overall benefit to the public.                                      

                                                                                

7       (e) The extent of reuse of vacant buildings and redevelopment               

                                                                                

8   of blighted property.                                                       

                                                                                

9       (f) Creation of jobs.                                                       

                                                                                

10      (g) Whether the eligible property is in an area of high                     

                                                                                

11  unemployment.                                                               

                                                                                

12      (h) The level and extent of contamination alleviated by or in               

                                                                                

13  connection with the eligible activities.                                    

                                                                                

14      (i) The level of private sector contribution.                               

                                                                                

15      (j) The cost gap that exists between the site and a similar                 

                                                                                

16  greenfield site as determined by the Michigan economic growth               

                                                                                

17  authority.                                                                  

                                                                                

18      (k) If the developer or projected occupant of the new                       

                                                                                

19  development is moving from another location in this state,                  

                                                                                

20  whether the move will create a brownfield.                                  

                                                                                

21                                                                               (l) Whether the financial statements of the developer,                              

                                                                                

22  landowner, or corporate entity indicate that the developer,                 

                                                                                

23  landowner, or corporate entity is financially sound and that the            

                                                                                

24  project of the developer, landowner, or corporate entity that is            

                                                                                

25  included in the work plan is economically sound.                            

                                                                                

26      (m) Other state and local incentives available to the                       

                                                                                

27  developer, landowner, or corporate entity for the project of the            


                                                                                

1   developer, landowner, or corporate entity that is included in the           

                                                                                

2   work plan.                                                                  

                                                                                

3       (n) Any other criteria that the Michigan economic growth                    

                                                                                

4   authority considers appropriate for the determination of                    

                                                                                

5   eligibility or for approval of the work plan.                               

                                                                                

6       (16) If the Michigan economic growth authority fails to                     

                                                                                

7   provide a written response under subsection (14) within 65 days             

                                                                                

8   after receipt of a request for approval of a work plan, the                 

                                                                                

9   eligible activities shall be considered approved and the                    

                                                                                

10  authority may proceed with the eligible activities described in             

                                                                                

11  section 13(15) as outlined in the work plan as submitted for                

                                                                                

12  approval.                                                                   

                                                                                

13      (17) The Michigan economic growth authority's approval of a                 

                                                                                

14  work plan under section 13(15) is final.                                    

                                                                                

15      (18) The authority shall reimburse the Michigan economic                    

                                                                                

16  growth authority for the actual cost incurred by the Michigan               

                                                                                

17  economic growth authority or a contractor of the Michigan                   

                                                                                

18  economic growth authority to review a work plan under this                  

                                                                                

19  section.                                                                    

                                                                                

20      (19) The Michigan economic growth authority shall submit a                  

                                                                                

21  report each year on or before March 1 to each member of the                 

                                                                                

22  legislature that contains all of the following:                             

                                                                                

23      (a) A compilation and summary of all the information                        

                                                                                

24  submitted under subsection (13).                                            

                                                                                

25      (b) The amount of revenue this state would have received if                 

                                                                                

26  taxes levied for school operating purposes had not been captured            

                                                                                

27  under this section for the previous calendar year.                          


                                                                                

1       (c) The amount of revenue each local governmental unit would                

                                                                                

2   have received if taxes levied for school operating purposes had             

                                                                                

3   not been captured under this section for the previous calendar              

                                                                                

4   year.                                                                       

                                                                                

5       (20) All taxes levied for school operating purposes that are                

                                                                                

6   not used for eligible activities consistent with a work plan                

                                                                                

7   approved by the department or the Michigan economic growth                  

                                                                                

8   authority and that are not deposited in a local site remediation            

                                                                                

9   revolving fund shall be distributed proportionately between the             

                                                                                

10  local school district and the school aid fund.