HOUSE BILL No. 5447

 

February 4, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Mortimer and referred to the Committee on Land Use and Environment.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"                       

                                                                                

    by amending section 11526 (MCL 324.11526) and by adding sections            

                                                                                

    11526a and 11526b.                                                          

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 11526.   The  Subject to section 11526a, the                           

                                                                                

2   department, a health officer, or a law enforcement officer of               

                                                                                

3   competent jurisdiction may inspect a solid waste transporting               

                                                                                

4   unit that is being used to transport solid waste along a public             

                                                                                

5   road to determine if the solid waste transporting unit is                   

                                                                                

6   designed, maintained, and operated in a manner to prevent                   

                                                                                

7   littering or to determine if the owner or operator of the solid             

                                                                                

8   waste transporting unit is performing in compliance with this               

                                                                                

9   part and the rules promulgated under this part.                             

                                                                                

10      Sec. 11526a.  (1) The department shall inspect at the                       

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   Michigan border each solid waste transporting unit that is being            

                                                                                

2   used to transport solid waste from Canada along a public road to            

                                                                                

3   determine all of the following:                                             

                                                                                

4       (a) If the solid waste transporting unit is designed,                       

                                                                                

5   maintained, and operated in a manner to prevent littering.                  

                                                                                

6       (b) If the owner or operator of the solid waste transporting                

                                                                                

7   unit is performing in compliance with this part and the rules               

                                                                                

8   promulgated under this part.                                                

                                                                                

9       (c) If the solid waste or any component of the solid waste                  

                                                                                

10  poses a threat to the health or safety of the people of this                

                                                                                

11  state.                                                                      

                                                                                

12      (2) The department shall charge a uniform fee based on the                  

                                                                                

13  volume of the solid waste inspected under subsection (1) and                

                                                                                

14  sufficient to pay the reasonable costs of the inspections.  If              

                                                                                

15  the waste is municipal solid waste, the fee shall be charged to             

                                                                                

16  the municipality whose residents generated the waste.  If the               

                                                                                

17  waste is not municipal solid waste, the fee shall be charged to             

                                                                                

18  the person that generated the waste.                                        

                                                                                

19      (3) Within 90 days after the end of each month, the                         

                                                                                

20  department shall notify each person liable for payment of a fee             

                                                                                

21  under subsection (2) of the amount of the fee owed for that                 

                                                                                

22  month.  Payment is due within 90 days of the mailing date of the            

                                                                                

23  fee notification.  If an assessed fee is challenged under                   

                                                                                

24  subsection (4), payment is due within 90 days of the mailing date           

                                                                                

25  of the fee notification or within 30 days of receipt of a revised           

                                                                                

26  fee or statement supporting the original fee, whichever is                  

                                                                                

27  later.  The department shall deposit all fees collected under               


                                                                                

1   this section to the credit of the solid waste inspection fund               

                                                                                

2   established under section 11526b.                                           

                                                                                

3       (4) If a person charged a fee under subsection (2) fails to                 

                                                                                

4   submit the amount due within the time period specified in                   

                                                                                

5   subsection (3), the department shall assess the person a penalty            

                                                                                

6   of 5% of the amount of the unpaid fee for each month that the               

                                                                                

7   payment is overdue up to a maximum penalty of 25% of the total              

                                                                                

8   fee owed.                                                                   

                                                                                

9       (5) If a person charged a fee under subsection (2) desires to               

                                                                                

10  challenge the fee, the person shall submit the challenge in                 

                                                                                

11  writing to the department.  The department shall not process the            

                                                                                

12  challenge unless it is received by the department within 45 days            

                                                                                

13  of the mailing date of the fee notification described in                    

                                                                                

14  subsection (3).  A challenge shall state the grounds upon which             

                                                                                

15  the challenge is based.  Within 30 calendar days of receipt of              

                                                                                

16  the challenge, the department shall determine the validity of the           

                                                                                

17  challenge and provide the person with notification of a revised             

                                                                                

18  fee or a statement setting forth the reason or reasons why the              

                                                                                

19  fee was not revised.  Payment of the challenged or revised fee is           

                                                                                

20  due within the time frame described in subsection (3).  If a                

                                                                                

21  person desires to further challenge its assessed fee, the person            

                                                                                

22  has an opportunity for a contested case hearing as provided for             

                                                                                

23  under the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL           

                                                                                

24  24.201 to 24.328.                                                           

                                                                                

25      (6) If a fee is more than 5 months overdue, the department                  

                                                                                

26  shall request the attorney general to bring an action for relief            

                                                                                

27  under section 11546.  Upon finding that a fee is more than 5                


                                                                                

1   months overdue, the court shall enjoin the transportation into              

                                                                                

2   this state of solid waste from the person that owes the fee.                

                                                                                

3       Sec. 11526b.  (1) The solid waste inspection fund is created                

                                                                                

4   within the state treasury.  The state treasurer may receive money           

                                                                                

5   from any source for deposit into the fund.  The state treasurer             

                                                                                

6   shall direct the investment of the fund.  The state treasurer               

                                                                                

7   shall credit to the fund interest and earnings from fund                    

                                                                                

8   investments.                                                                

                                                                                

9       (2) Money in the solid waste inspection fund at the close of                

                                                                                

10  the fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall not lapse to             

                                                                                

11  the general fund.                                                           

                                                                                

12      (3) Money shall be expended from the solid waste inspection                 

                                                                                

13  fund, upon appropriation, only to pay for inspections required by           

                                                                                

14  section 11526a.                                                             

                                                                                

15      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

16  effect unless Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5448                  

                                                                                

17  (request no. 05481'03) of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into              

                                                                                

18  law.