Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) A financial institution issuing a surety
instrument evidencing financial responsibility for closure of a livestock waste
lagoon becomes liable on the surety instrument when a lagoon is removed from
service and:
1) The owner fails to submit the
lagoon closure plan required by Section
900.608 of this
Part and:
A) cannot be found; or
B) fails to cure such failure within 30 days
after notice from the Department;
2) The owner fails to obtain Department
approval of a lagoon closure plan within eight months after the date that the
lagoon is removed from service, unless the lagoon is maintained or serviced;
or
3) The owner fails to comply
with an approved lagoon closure plan and:
A)
cannot be found; or
B) fails to
cure such noncompliance within 30 days after notice from the
Department.
b) The Department must provide notice to the
financial institution providing surety for the lagoon:
1) when it determines that the lagoon has
been removed from service; and
2)
when it determines that one of the criteria for liability set forth in
subsection (a) of this Section has been met.
c) Within 30 days after notice of liability
from the Department, the financial institution must either assume liability for
closure of the lagoon and notify the Department of its election to assume
liability, or deposit the amount for which it is liable in connection with the
lagoon into an account from which the Department is authorized to disburse
funds for the purpose of closing the lagoon.
1) If the financial institution assumes
liability for closure of the lagoon, it must submit a lagoon closure plan that
meets the requirements of Section
900.608 of this
Part within 60 days after notifying the Department of its election.
Notwithstanding the financial institution's assumption of liability for closure
of the lagoon, the Department may require the financial institution to deposit
funds up to the amount for which the financial institution is liable under the
surety instrument into an account from which the Department is authorized to
disburse funds for the purpose of closing the lagoon if:
A) The financial institution does not submit
the lagoon closure plan as required and fails to cure such omission within 30
days after notice from the Department;
B) The financial institution fails to obtain
Department approval of a lagoon closure plan within eight months after the date
that it elects to assume liability for closure of the lagoon, unless the lagoon
is maintained or serviced; or
C)
The financial institution fails to comply with an approved lagoon closure plan
and fails to cure such noncompliance within 30 days after notice from the
Department.
2) A
financial institution that assumes liability for closure of a lagoon under this
Section remains liable for the full amount of the surety instrument until the
Department issues written notification of completion of closure in accordance
with Section
900.608 of this
Part, notwithstanding the expiration of the instrument utilized to evidence
financial responsibility by the owner.
3) Any amounts that a financial institution
may expend for service or maintenance of the lagoon pending closure or partial
closure of the lagoon do not reduce the amount of the financial institution's
obligation under this subsection (c).
4) If the financial institution elects, or is
required under subsection (c)(1) of this Section, to deposit the funds required
by the Department into an account from which the Department is authorized to
disburse funds for the purpose of closing the lagoon, then the Department shall
close the lagoon within the time frame established under Section 15(e) of the
Livestock Management Facilities Act [510
ILCS 77/15(e)] or as soon as
practicable, to the extent possible utilizing the funds deposited by the
financial institution. The Department may use any interest earned on deposited
funds to close the lagoon. The Department must release any funds remaining in
the account, including any remaining interest earned on funds in the account,
to the financial institution upon completion of closure.
d) The Department may sue in any court of
competent jurisdiction to enforce its rights under any surety
instrument.