Montana Title 10. Military Affairs and Disaster and Emergency Services § 10-3-1216. Cost recovery and civil remedies

(1) Cost recovery is the duty of the city or county having authority where an incident occurred.

(2) The commission shall ensure the recovery of state expenditures according to the plan.

(3) A person responsible for an incident is liable for attorney fees and costs of the commission incurred in recovering costs associated with responding to an incident.

(4) The remedy for the recovery of emergency response costs identified in this part is in addition to any other remedy for recovery of the costs provided by applicable federal or state law.

(5) Any person who receives compensation for the emergency response costs pursuant to any other federal or state law is precluded from recovering compensation for those costs pursuant to this chapter.

(6) Except for the commission, the regional hazardous material incident response team, and the local emergency response authority, this part does not otherwise affect or modify in any way the obligations or liability of any person under any other provision of state or federal law, including common law, for damages, injury, or loss resulting from the release or threatened release of any hazardous material or for remedial action or the costs of remedial action for a release or threatened release.

(7) Any person who is not a liable party under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq., as amended, or the Comprehensive Environmental Cleanup and Responsibility Act, Title 75, chapter 10, part 7, and who renders assistance in response to an emergency situation associated with an incident may file a civil action against the responsible party for recoverable costs that have not been reimbursed by the state.

(8) Recoveries by the state for reimbursed costs under this section must be deposited in the environmental contingency account to offset amounts paid as reimbursement.