Sec. 7. (a) As used in this section, “release” means any discharging, disposing, dumping, emitting, emptying, escaping, injecting, leaching, leaking, pouring, pumping, or spilling into the environment. The term includes the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, or other closed receptacles containing any petroleum or hazardous substance.

     (b) As used in this section, “remediation” means any of the following:

(1) Actions necessary to prevent, minimize, or mitigate damages to the public health or welfare or to the environment that may otherwise result from a release or threat of a release.

(2) Actions consistent with a permanent remedy taken instead of or in addition to removal actions in the event of a release of petroleum or a hazardous substance into the environment to eliminate the release of petroleum or hazardous substances so that the petroleum or hazardous substances do not migrate to cause substantial danger to present or future public health or welfare or the environment.

(3) The cleanup or removal of released petroleum or hazardous substances from the environment.

     (c) Notwithstanding section 3 of this chapter, a contract for remediation of a hazardous waste site may be entered into for any period not to exceed ten (10) years. The other provisions of section 3 of this chapter apply to a contract for remediation of hazardous waste.

As added by P.L.49-1997, SEC.1.