(a) (1) An agency may take any actions that the agency determines are necessary and that are consistent with other state and federal laws to remedy or remove a release of hazardous substances on, under, or from property within a project area, whether the agency owns that property or not, subject to the conditions specified in subdivision (b). Unless an administering agency has been designated under Section 25262, the agency shall request cleanup guidelines from the department or the California regional water quality control board before taking action to remedy or remove a release. The department or the California regional water quality control board shall respond to the agencyâs request to provide cleanup guidelines within a reasonable period of time. The agency shall thereafter submit for approval a cleanup or remedial action plan to the department or the California regional water quality control board before taking action to remedy or remove a release. The department or the California regional water quality control board shall respond to the agencyâs request for approval of a cleanup or remedial action plan within a reasonable period of time. (2) The agency shall provide the department and local health and building departments, the California regional water quality control board, with notification of any cleanup activity pursuant to this section at least 30 days before the commencement of the activity. If an action taken by an agency or a responsible party to remedy or remove a release of a hazardous substance does not meet, or is not consistent with, a remedial action plan or cleanup plan approved by the department or the California regional water quality control board, the department or the California regional water quality control board that approved the cleanup or remedial action plan may require the agency to take, or cause the taking of, additional action to remedy or remove the release, as provided by applicable law. If an administering agency for the site has been designated under Section 25262, any requirement for additional action may be imposed only as provided in Sections 25263 and 25265. If methane or landfill gas is present, the agency shall obtain written approval from the California Integrated Waste Management Board prior to taking that action. (b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), an agency may take the actions specified in subdivision (a) only under one of the following conditions: (1) There is no responsible party for the release identified by the agency. (2) A party determined by the agency to be a responsible party for the release has been notified by the agency or has received adequate notice from the department, a California regional water quality control board, the Environmental Protection Agency, or other governmental agency with relevant authority and has been given 60 days to respond and to propose a remedial action plan and schedule, and the responsible party has not agreed within an additional 60 days to implement a plan and schedule to remedy or remove the release that is acceptable to the agency and that has been found by the agency to be consistent, to the maximum extent possible, with the priorities, guidelines, criteria, and regulations contained in the National Contingency Plan and published pursuant to Section 9605 of Title 42 of the United States Code for similar releases, situations, or events. (3) The party determined by the agency to be the responsible party for the hazardous substance release entered into an agreement with the agency to prepare a remedial action plan for approval by the department, the California regional water quality control board, or the appropriate local agency and to implement the remedial action plan in accordance with an agreed schedule, but failed to prepare the remedial action plan, failed to implement the remedial action plan in accordance with the agreed schedule, or otherwise failed to carry out the remedial action in an appropriate and timely man
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