Bill > SB658

This bill clarifies and strengthens the Orange County Water District's authority to investigate and clean up water contamination and recover associated costs. Specifically, it amends Section 8 of the Orange County Water District Act to explicitly state that the district can recover costs for investigations into contamination, as well as for cleanup, abatement, or remedial work, from those responsible for causing or threatening contamination. The bill also clarifies that the district can sue to recover these costs, including attorney's fees, even if the cleanup work isn't fully completed when liability is determined, and it presumes the necessity and reasonableness of the district's actions and costs, placing the burden of proof on the defendant. The Legislature finds that this act is declaratory of existing law, meaning it's intended to confirm the original intent of a previous law passed in 1989.