2015 -- H 5668 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND CESSPOOL ACT OF

2007

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Tanzi, Handy, Carson, Morin, and Melo

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2015

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 23-19.15-2, 23-19.15-3, 23-19.15-4, 23-19.15-5, 23-19.15-6, 23-

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19.15-7, 23-19.15-8 and 23-19.15-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-19.15 entitled "The

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Rhode Island Cesspool Act of 2007" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-19.15-2. Legislative findings. -- The general assembly hereby recognizes and

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declares that:

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      (1) There exists within certain portions of the state the a need to abate pollution and

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threats to public health caused by cesspools, particularly high-risk cesspools that pose direct

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threats to public health and the environment.

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      (2) It is estimated that there are more than fifty thousand (50,000) twenty-five thousand

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(25,000) cesspools within the state as of 2006 2013.

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      (3) Cesspools are a substandard and often inadequate means of sewage treatment and

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disposal.

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      (4) Many cesspools Cesspools contribute directly to groundwater and surface water

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contamination and environmental impacts will be exacerbated by increased precipitation, storm

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frequency and sea level rise.

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      (5) Wastewater disposed from cesspools contains bacteria, viruses, ammonium and other

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pollutants with high biochemical oxygen demand, and may also include phosphates, chlorides,

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grease, and chemicals used to clean cesspools.

 

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      (6) Wastewater disposed from cesspools frequently exceeds violates drinking water

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health standards for certain contaminants.

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      (7) Wastewater disposed from cesspools can pose significant health threats to people

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who come into contact with, or consume, contaminated surface waters or groundwaters.

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      (8) Appropriate treatment of sewage disposed into the ground is essential to the

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protection of public health and the environment, particularly in relation to Narragansett Bay and

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the rest of the state's coastal region, and public drinking water resources.

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      (9) Replacement of cesspools with modern ISDS onsite wastewater treatment systems

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(OWTS) technology reduces risks to public health and the environment.

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      (10) In sewered areas, sewer tie-ins offer a readily available, low-cost environmentally

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preferable means of mitigating problems and threats caused by cesspools.

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      (11) A fund exists to assist homeowners with the costs of removing cesspools and

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inadequate septic systems and replacing them with an approved ISDS OWTS if the community in

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which the homeowner resides has created a wastewater management district in accordance with

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chapter 24.5 of title 45.

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     23-19.15-3. Declaration of purpose. -- The purpose of this chapter is to phase-out use of

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cesspools that present the highest risk to public health and/or the environment -- namely,

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cesspools beginning with those located in close proximity to tidal water areas and public drinking

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waters water supplies. Additionally, this chapter is intended to allow for the identification and

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assessment of cesspools on all properties throughout the state that are subject to sale, and to

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phase-out any such cesspools that are found to be failed provides for the connection of properties

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served by cesspools to available sewer lines and requires the identification and replacement of

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cesspools on all properties throughout the state that are subject to sale or transfer.

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     23-19.15-4. Definitions. -- For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall

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mean:

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      (1) "Cesspool" means any buried chamber other than an individual sewage disposal

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system onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS), including, but not limited to, any metal

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tank, perforated concrete vault or covered hollow or excavation, which receives discharges of

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sanitary sewage from a building for the purpose of collecting solids and discharging liquids to the

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surrounding soil.

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      (2) "Department" means the department of environmental management as established in

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chapter 17.1 of title 42.

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      (3) "Director" means the director of the department of environmental management or his

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or her designee.

 

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      (4) "Failed cesspool" means a cesspool where one or more of the following conditions

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exist: (i) the cesspool fails to accept or dispose of sewage, as evidenced by sewage at the ground

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surface above or adjacent to the cesspool, or in the building served; (ii) the liquid depth in a

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cesspool is less than six (6) inches from the inlet pipe invert; (iii) pumping is required more than

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two (2) times a year; (iv) the cesspool is shown to have contaminated a drinking water well or

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watercourse; or (v) there is shown to be direct contact between the bottom of the cesspool and the

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groundwater table.

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      (5) "Individual sewage disposal system" or "ISDS" "Onsite wastewater treatment

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system" or "OWTS" means any system of piping, tanks, disposal areas, alternative toilets or other

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facilities designed to function as a unit to convey, store, treat and/or dispose of sanitary sewage,

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by means other than discharge into a public sewer system. A cesspool is not an OWTS.

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      (6) "System inspector" means a person approved by the department as who is registered

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as an inspector and capable of properly assessing the condition of an ISDS OWTS.

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     (7) "Transfer" means a transfer of real property except between the following

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relationships:

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     (i) Between current spouses;

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     (ii) Between parents and their children;

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     (iii) Between full siblings; or

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     (iv) Where the grantor transfers the real property to be held in a revocable or irrevocable

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trust, where at least one of the designated beneficiaries is of the first degree of relationship to the

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grantor.

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     (8) "Wastewater" means human or animal excremental liquid or substance, putrescible

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animal or vegetable garbage or filth, including, but not limited to, waste discharged from toilets,

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bath tubs, showers, laundry tubs, washing machines, sinks and dishwashers.

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     23-19.15-5. Inspection Inspection requirements for cesspools located in close

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proximity to tidal waters and public drinking supplies. -- (a) Unless exempted under

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subsection 23-19.15-8(a), the owner of property served by a cesspool in the following areas shall

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cause an inspection to be performed on said cesspool by a system inspector in accordance with a

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schedule established by the department, but no later than January 1, 2012:

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      (1) Which cesspool is within two hundred feet (200') of the inland edge of a shoreline

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feature bordering a tidal water area [corresponding to the jurisdiction of the RI Coastal Resources

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Management Council];

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      (2) Which cesspool is within two hundred feet (200') of a public drinking water well; and

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      (3) Which cesspool is within two hundred feet (200') of a surface drinking water supply,

 

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specifically the impoundment from which water is drawn via the intake.

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      The inspection shall be conducted by a system inspector as defined herein and reported

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in accordance with procedures required by the department, and the results shall be recorded on

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forms prescribed by the department.

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      (b) Pursuant to § 5-20.8-13, every contract for the purchase and sale of real estate which

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is or may be served by a private cesspool, shall provide that potential purchasers be permitted a

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ten (10) day period, unless the parties mutually agree upon a different period of time, to conduct

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an inspection of the property's on-site sewage system in accordance with procedures required by

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the department in subsection 23-19.15-5(a), before becoming obligated under the contract to

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purchase.

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     23-19.15-6. Cesspool removal and replacement. -- (a) Any cesspool located in close

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proximity to tidal water areas and public drinking water supplies and required to be abandoned

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pursuant to this chapter shall be replaced with an approved ISDS OWTS, or the building served

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by the cesspool shall be connected to a public sewer, prior to the applicable deadlines contained

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in subsection 23-19.15-6(b).

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      (b) Cesspools found to be located within the areas identified in subsection 23-19.15-5(a)

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above shall cease to be used for sewage disposal and shall be properly abandoned in accordance

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with the following schedule:

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      (1) Tier 1. - Any cesspool deemed by the department or a system inspector to be failed in

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accordance with this chapter shall be properly abandoned within one year of discovery unless an

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immediate public health hazard is identified, in which case the director may require a shorter

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period of time.

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      (2) Tier 2. - Any cesspool located on a property which has a sewer stub enabling

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connection to a public sewer shall be properly abandoned, and the building served by the cesspool

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shall be connected into the sewer system of such premises with such sewer and fill up and destroy

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any cesspool, privy vault, drain or other arrangement on such land for the reception of sewage,

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excluding any Rhode Island department of environmental management ISDS OWTS approved

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system, prior to January 1, 2014.

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      (3) Tier 3. - Any cesspool within two hundred feet (200') of a public drinking water well,

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or within two hundred feet (200') of the inland edge of a shoreline feature bordering a tidal water

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area [corresponding to the jurisdiction of the RI Coastal Resources Management Council] or

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within two hundred feet (200) of a surface drinking water supply [specifically, the impoundment

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from which water is drawn via the intake] shall be properly abandoned by January 1, 2014.

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     23-19.15-7. Waiver. -- The director may grant a waiver, to the extent necessary, from

 

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applicable provisions listed in subsection 23-19.15-6(b) provided the homeowner demonstrates

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undue hardship defined as having an annual income of less than or equal to eighty percent (80%)

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of the appropriate household size area median income determined by the federal Housing and

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Urban Development standards for the community within which the cesspool is located, and the

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cesspool is not a failed system as defined herein. No waiver shall exceed five (5) years from the

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dates specified in subsection 23-19.15-6(b). Any waiver granted shall expire upon transfer or sale

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of the land or easement upon which the cesspool is located.

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     23-19.15-8. Exemption. -- (a) The provisions of §§ 23-19.15-5, and subsection 23-19.15-

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6(a) and 23-19.15-12(a) shall not apply to any cesspool located in an area of a community

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covered by municipal on-site wastewater management ordinance that requires the risk-based

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phase-out of cesspools on an alternative schedule that meets the purposes of this act.

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      (b) The provisions of subdivision §§ 23-19.15-6(b)(2) and 23-19.15-12 shall not apply to

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any cesspool located on a property that is properly designated to be sewered no later than six (6)

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years after the applicable deadlines provided in subdivision 23-19.15-6(b)(2) § 23-19.15-6(b)(3)

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provided: (1) The sewering project is identified in the city, town or sewer district's wastewater

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facilities plan as approved by DEM prior to January 1, 2013; (2) The municipality, acting through

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its city or town council, states in writing to the director of the department of environmental

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management by January 1, 2013 that the municipality will complete construction of the sewering

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project on or before January 1, 2020; and (3) The property owner certifies, in writing, that the

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dwelling/building will be connected to the sewer system within six (6) months of receipt of the

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notification to connect to the sewer system and that no increase in the design sewage flow or

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number of bedrooms in the building will occur until the connection is made.

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      (c) In addition to subdivision 23-19.15-8(b)(2), above, the municipality must

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demonstrate by December 31, 2014 that is has bond authorization or some other dedicated

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financial surety for expansion of sewers to the area of the building served by the cesspool. If the

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municipality fails to demonstrate such surety, this exemption shall terminate and the cesspool

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shall be replaced by June 30, 2015.

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     23-19.15-9. Notice to remove and replace cesspools. -- (a) The owner of any cesspool

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who has not complied with the requirements pursuant to this chapter shall be in violation of this

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chapter and subject to enforcement action by the department in accordance with chapters 17.1 and

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17.6 of title 42 of the general laws.

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      (b) Notwithstanding the above provisions, the director may require the abandonment and

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replacement of any cesspool with an approved ISDS OWTS prior to the dates specified in

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subsection 23-19.15-6(a) § 23-19.15-6(b) if the cesspool is a large capacity cesspool as defined

 

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pursuant to applicable federal regulations governing underground injection control (UIC)

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facilities.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 23-19.15 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode Island Cesspool

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Act of 2007" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     23-19.15-12. Cesspool removal and replacement requirements at property transfer.

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(a) Any cesspool found to be serving a building or use subject to sale or transfer shall be

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removed and replaced with an OWTS or the building served by the cesspool shall be connected to

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a public sewer system within twelve (12) months of the date of sale or transfer.

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     (b) Should the manner of wastewater disposal be unknown, an inspection shall be

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conducted to determine if a cesspool is present on the property. This inspection shall be done by a

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system inspector prior to the time of sale or transfer.

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     (c) Pursuant to § 5-20.8-13, every contract, for the purchase and sale of real estate which

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is or may be served by a private cesspool, shall provide that potential purchasers be permitted a

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ten (10) day period, unless the parties mutually agree upon a different period of time, to conduct

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an inspection of the property's onsite sewage system in accordance with procedures required by

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the department in § 23-19.15-5(a), before becoming obligated under the contract to purchase.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2016.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE RHODE ISLAND CESSPOOL ACT OF

2007

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     This act would amend the Rhode Island cesspool act of 2007 including replacing

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individual sewage disposal systems with onsite wastewater treatment systems and would require

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cesspool removal or replacement upon the transfer of the property where the cesspool is located

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under certain circumstances.

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     This act would take effect on January 1, 2016.

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