GROUNDWATER PROTECTION CLEANUP PROGRAM.

(a) The groundwater protection cleanup program is established, and the commission shall administer that program.

(b) In administering the program, the commission shall:

(1) negotiate with or direct responsible parties in site assessment and remediation matters using risk-based corrective action;

(2) approve site-specific corrective action plans for each site as necessary, using risk-based corrective action;

(3) review and inspect site assessment and remedial activities and reports;

(4) use risk-based corrective action procedures as determined by commission rule to establish cleanup levels;

(5) adopt by rule criteria for assigning a priority to each site using risk-based corrective action and assign a priority to each site according to those criteria;

(6) adopt by rule criteria for:

(A) risk-based corrective action site closures; and

(B) the issuance of a closure letter to the owner or operator of a tank site on completion of the commission's corrective action requirements; and

(7) process claims for petroleum storage tank remediation account disbursement in accordance with this subchapter.

(c) The commission by rule may approve site assessment methodologies. The commission shall approve or disapprove a site assessment or corrective action plan, as defined by commission rule, on or before the 30th day after the commission receives the assessment or plan. The commission shall adopt by rule criteria to be used to determine:

(1) the necessity for site assessment; and

(2) the nature of the site assessment required.

(d) The commission may not approve a corrective action plan until the commission and the owner or operator of the site by agreement set specific goals in the plan for completing discrete corrective action tasks before specified dates. The owner or operator is responsible for meeting the goals.