Substitute House Bill No. 6335
          Substitute House Bill No. 6335

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-71


AN ACT CONCERNING  CERTAIN  LAND UNDER THE CONTROL
OF THE COMMISSIONER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  Section  22a-26  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed   and   the   following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    The Commissioner of  Environmental Protection,
with the approval  of  the Secretary of the Office
of Policy and  Management,  may  convey,  lease or
transfer the care and control of any land owned by
the state and  controlled  by  the  Department  of
Environmental Protection to the federal government
or any agency  thereof,  to any state agency or to
any municipality or  regional authority, upon such
terms and for  such  periods  as  may  be mutually
agreed upon, or may enter into any agreements with
such agency, municipality  or  authority  for  the
joint care, operation or preservation thereof. THE
COMMISSIONER OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WITH THE
APPROVAL OF THE  SECRETARY OF THE OFFICE OF POLICY
AND MANAGEMENT, MAY CONVEY ANY LAND THAT THE STATE
ACQUIRES PURSUANT TO  42  USC  9601  ET  SEQ., THE
FEDERAL   COMPREHENSIVE  ENVIRONMENTAL   RESPONSE,
COMPENSATION  AND  LIABILITY   ACT   OF  1980,  AS
AMENDED, (CERCLA), TO  ANY  MUNICIPALITY OR TO ANY
POTENTIALLY  RESPONSIBLE PARTY  OR  ANY  GROUP  OF
POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES UNDER 42 USC 9607,
UPON  SUCH  TERMS   AS   ARE   AGREED  TO  BY  THE
COMMISSIONER AND THE TRANSFEREE. Any state agency,
with the approval  of  the Secretary of the Office
of  Policy and  Management,  any  municipality  or
regional authority may  convey,  lease or transfer
the  care  and   control  of  any  land  owned  or
controlled   by  it   to   the   Commissioner   of
Environmental Protection upon  such  terms and for
such periods as may be mutually agreed upon.
    Sec. 2. Section  4b-21 of the general statutes
is amended by adding subsection (g) as follows:
    (NEW) (g) The  requirements of subsections (b)
to (d), inclusive, of this section shall not apply
to land which  the  Commissioner  of Environmental
Protection has acquired pursuant to 42 USC 9601 et
seq.,  the  federal   Comprehensive  Environmental
Response, Compensation and  Liability Act of 1980,
as amended, (CERCLA).
    Sec. 3. Section  26-3b of the general statutes
is amended by adding subsection (c) as follows:
    (NEW) (c) The commissioner shall grant a right
of first refusal  regarding  the  purchase  of any
land offered for sale under subsection (b) of this
section to any  person  who has provided notice of
interest in such  right  to the commissioner under
this   subsection  and   who   provides   evidence
satisfactory to the  commissioner  that  (1)  such
person   is   the   husband   or   wife,   parent,
grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild of (A) a
person  who  held   title   to  the  land  in  fee
immediately  prior to  the  state's  taking  title
provided the state acquired such title on or after
January 1, 1969, and prior to January 1, 1975, and
(B) a person  who owns land contiguous to the land
being offered for  sale, or (2) such person (A) is
the husband or wife, parent, grandparent, sibling,
child or grandchild  of a person who held title to
the land immediately  prior  to the state's taking
title provided the state acquired such title on or
after January 1,  1969,  and  prior  to January 1,
1975, and (B)  owns  land  contiguous  to the land
being offered for sale. Notice of interest in such
right shall be  in  writing  and  shall provide an
address to which  notice  of an offer for sale may
be sent and  shall further provide any information
the   commissioner   deems    relevant    to   any
determination   required   of   him   under   this
subsection.  If  he  finds  that  such  notice  is
complete, the commissioner  shall  send  notice to
such person, by  certified mail, prior to offering
such land for  sale  to  any  other  person  under
subsection (b) of  this  section. Such right shall
be exercised not  later than thirty days after the
date that notice of an offer for sale is received.
In the event that more than one notice of interest
is filed with  the  commissioner,  the  person who
provided the first  notice  deemed complete by the
commissioner shall be  given  the  right  of first
refusal.
    Sec. 4. This  act  shall  take effect from its
passage.

Approved May 27, 1997