California Code, Health and Safety Code - HSC § 25403.5

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, if a local agency undertakes action to investigate property or clean up, or to require others to investigate or clean up, including compelling a responsible party through a civil injunctive action, a release of hazardous material, the responsible party shall be liable to the local agency for the costs incurred in the action. A local agency may not recover the costs of goods and services that were not procured in accordance with procurement procedures, where applicable. The amount of the costs shall include the interest on the costs accrued from the date of expenditure and reasonable attorney's fees and shall be recoverable in a civil action. Interest shall be calculated based on the average annual rate of return on a local agency's investment of surplus funds for the fiscal year in which costs were incurred.

(b) The only defenses available to a responsible party shall be the defenses specified in subdivision (b) of Section 78145.

(c) A local agency may recover any costs incurred to develop and to implement a cleanup plan approved pursuant to this chapter, to the same extent the department is authorized to recover those costs. The scope and standard of liability for cost recovery pursuant to this section shall be the scope and standard of liability under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Sec. 9601 et seq.) as that act would apply to the department. However, any reference to hazardous substance in that act shall be deemed to refer to hazardous material as defined in Section 25403. It is the intent of the Legislature that local agencies diligently pursue reimbursement for investigation and cleanup costs incurred pursuant to this chapter, but each local agency is authorized to assess whether and to what extent cost recovery is practicable.

(d) An action for recovery of the costs of a cleanup undertaken by a local agency under this section shall be commenced within three years after completion of the cleanup.

(e) The action to recover costs provided by this section is in addition to, and is not to be construed as restricting, any other cause of action available to a local agency.