El Monte Municipal Code Ch. 8.24 Hazardous Materials

Any person or business causing an unauthorized release of any hazardous material which requires the city to expend public funds for the cleanup or removal of such hazardous material shall be civilly liable to the city for all costs incurred by the city for such cleanup and removal. The city shall provide such person who may be civilly liable to the city hereunder with a written account and invoice of the costs incurred by the city and such person or business shall pay such amount to the City Fire Marshal within thirty (30) days following transmittal of such invoice. In the event that an action may thereafter be initiated by the city to collect any sum which is owed to the city hereunder, the judgment in such action may include reasonable attorneys' fees of the city incurred in connection with such collection. There is established a "City of El Monte Hazardous Materials Civil Liability Cleanup and Reimbursement Fund" and all sums which may hereafter be collected by the City Fire Marshal under this section shall be deposited into such fund. The balance of said fund shall be used and applied by the City Fire Chief for the purchase of specialized equipment, including data processing equipment, which will aid the City Fire Department in ensuring the safety of the public from the unauthorized disposal or storage of hazardous materials, or from fires which may involve such materials.

(Prior code § 3921)