Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:58B-2

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
The provisions of any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, the liability of any person constructing public works, buildings or improvements or offering services in connection with the construction of public works, buildings or improvements for the State, which work includes in whole or in part the removal or cleanup of hazardous substances, the discharge of hazardous substances, or the containment of hazardous substances at or near the construction sites, for any injury to a person or property caused by or related to such construction or services, shall be limited to acts or omissions of the person during the course of performing such construction or services which can be shown, based on a preponderance of the evidence, to have been negligent. For purposes of this act, the demonstration that the acts or omissions of a person performing such construction or services were in accordance with a plan which has been reviewed and approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection or the United States Environmental Protection Agency and pursuant to State or federal laws, rules or regulations, and in accordance with generally accepted practices and state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and utilization of the best technology reasonably available at the time of the removal, cleanup, containment or discharge of such hazardous substances shall create a rebuttable presumption that the acts or omissions were not negligent. This limitation on liability shall be limited to that element of the work which involves the development of a plan for the handling of hazardous substances and the handling of hazardous substances. This limitation on liability shall also apply to construction and services undertaken in the development of such a plan for approval.

L. 1987, c. 77, s. 2.