§ 854. — 854. (Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 873, Sec. 1.)

A commitment statement shall be executed in substantially the following form:
COUNTY OF
STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
NOTICE OF ASSUMPTION OF
GOVERNMENT IMPOSED SITE
INVESTIGATION AND/OR
REMEDIAL ACTION ORDERS
(“COMMITMENT STATEMENT”)
(a)
The undersigned notice recipient is aware of, or has received a notice of potential liability pursuant to, Section 851 of the Civil Code (“notice of potential liability”) in connection with a release of hazardous materials at a parcel of property (“site”) having the following legal description: (Insert description here)
(b)
The undersigned notice recipient and the undersigned owner of the site and the owner’s successors, heirs, and assigns agree, upon the proper and timely execution and delivery of this commitment statement, to abide by the requirements of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
850) of Title 3 of Part 2 of Division 2 in connection with the release that is the subject of the notice of potential liability.
(c)
The undersigned notice recipient hereby commits to undertake any response action as required by an oversight agency through a written action, directed to the owner or notice recipient, in connection with the release that is the subject of the notice of potential liability or release report. This commitment runs with the land and binds, in addition to the current owner of the site, all of the owner’s successors in interest, including current and future lenders having a security interest in the site.
(d)
The owner of the site and the owner’s successors, heirs, and assigns agree, upon the proper and timely execution and delivery of this commitment statement, to all of the following:
(1)
The undersigned notice recipient or the party’s designee shall be allowed such access to the site as may be required to perform its obligations under this commitment statement, provided that the undersigned notice recipient shall be liable for any physical damage it causes in conducting a response action, which the notice recipient fails to repair within a reasonable period after completion of all onsite activities.
(2)
The parties, their successors, heirs, and assigns shall provide each other with copies of any communication or correspondence with an oversight agency in connection with the release of hazardous materials at the site.
(3)
Provided that the undersigned notice recipient performs all of its obligations under this commitment statement, and except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (c) and (e) of Section 852 of the Civil Code, no claim for damages,
accruing after the acceptance of the commitment statement, shall be brought against the undersigned notice recipient by the owner of the site or by the owner’s successors, heirs, and assigns.
(e)
The contents of this commitment statement shall be inadmissible evidence in any proceeding, as defined in Section 901 of the Evidence Code, except in an action to enforce this commitment statement to the extent that such contents would be admissible under other applicable law. This commitment statement may be enforced fully by the owner of the site and all parties identified in paragraph (b). There are no third-party beneficiary rights created by this commitment statement.
(f)
The owner of the site shall provide a copy of this commitment statement to any prospective purchaser or lessee of the site until this commitment statement is terminated or until all response actions have been
completed in accordance with the commitment statement.
(g)
If the owner transfers the site, the owner shall notify the undersigned parties to this commitment statement, by mail, within 14 business days of the property transfer.
(h)
As provided by law, this commitment statement shall become effective if the owner executes this commitment statement within 45 days from the date of issuance, in which case its terms shall go into effect upon receipt of that acceptance by the issuer of this commitment statement. If the owner rejects this commitment statement, the rejection shall be subject to the mediation provisions of subdivision (b) of Section 852.
(i)
If at the end of two years from the date of acceptance of this commitment statement, an oversight agency has not issued a written action directed to the owner or notice
recipient, the owner has 60 days in which he or she may terminate the commitment statement; and, in this event, it shall have no further force or effect.
Notice recipient
Date
(Notice recipient’s name,
address, and telephone number)
(Notarial affidavit)
Owner
Date
(Owner’s name, address,
and telephone number)
(Notarial affidavit)

Legislative History

Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 873, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.