State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > New-jersey > Title-58 > Section-58-4 > 58-4-1458:4-14 Archaeological findings on reservoir lands protected.
5. a. (1) Except as may be provided pursuant to subsection c. of this section, no person may alter, deface, destroy, disturb, or remove any archaeological findings on any reservoir lands administered by the Department of Environmental Protection or by a State authority or commission, without written permission from the department or the respective administrative body as appropriate. As used in this section, "archaeological findings" shall include, but need not be limited to, relics, objects, fossils, or artifacts of an historical, prehistorical, geological, paleontological, archaeological or anthropological nature.
(2)As a condition of granting permission pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Department of Environmental Protection or the respective administrative body shall require that all excavation and exploration for archaeological findings be conducted in the least destructive manner possible. The administering authority or commission may also, in its discretion, require a person or persons granted such permission to consult with the Department of Environmental Protection prior to undertaking an approved project to verify that the methods and techniques selected are the least destructive and most appropriate to the site.
(3)No person may sell, transfer, exchange, transport, purchase, receive or offer to sell, transfer, exchange, transport, purchase or receive any archaeological findings originating on any reservoir lands administered by the Department of Environmental Protection or by a State authority or commission without the written permission of the department or the respective administrative body as appropriate.
b.A person who knowingly violates, or who solicits or employs any other person to violate, the provisions of subsection a. of this section shall be subject to the following penalties: a fine of not less than $750 nor more than $1,500 for the first offense; a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more than $3,000 for the second offense; and a fine of not less than $3,000 nor more than $5,000 for any subsequent offense. Penalties assessed pursuant to this subsection shall be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding. Any vessel, vehicle or equipment used in the commission of the violation shall be subject to confiscation and forfeiture to the department or to the State authority or commission, if warranted, as determined by the courts. All fines collected shall be remitted to the Department of Environmental Protection to be used for Statewide preservation, remediation or protection of archaeological sites. Further, restitution and damages may be ordered to compensate the department or State authority or commission for the cost of remediating any violation of this section and for the value of any lost, damaged, or destroyed archaeological findings. The State authority or commission shall consult with the department for proper remediation of affected lands. Any archaeological findings obtained as a result of a violation of this section shall be subject to confiscation, forfeiture, and return to the proper owner. Upon recovery, the archaeological findings shall be deposited with the Department of Environmental Protection for verification of ownership. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to ensure the appropriate disposition of any confiscated, forfeited, or returned archaeological findings. The return of archaeological findings to a State authority or commission shall be made upon verification of ownership by the Department of Environmental Protection that the State authority or commission owns the archaeological findings.
c.The Department of Environmental Protection and each State authority and commission administering reservoir lands shall provide for exceptions to the prohibitions set forth in subsection a. of this section for archaeological findings of de minimis value innocently discovered on any reservoir lands.
d.Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, examination or retrieval of artifacts, or scientific research, conducted by a State department, agency, commission, authority or corporation otherwise required or permitted by federal or State law are exempt from the provisions of this section.
L.2004,c.170,s.5.
58:4A-4.1.Responsibilities of well owner, drilling contractors, violations
2. The owner of any well shall be responsible for having the well sealed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department if the well is not in use or if it endangers or threatens the subsurface or percolating waters by the intrusion of salt water or from any other cause, or if it endangers life. Notwithstanding the well owner's responsibility to seal a well, the drilling contractor is also and primarily responsible for sealing a borehole or well that is abandoned during construction or is not completed or constructed in accordance with rules and regulations in effect at the time of construction. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be subject to the penalty provisions and other remedies set forth in section 20 of P.L.1947, c.377 (C.58:4A-24). Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of the owner of a well to seek indemnification, contribution, or other civil damages from the drilling contractor as may be authorized pursuant to any other statutory or common law.
L.1951,c.193,s.2; amended 1979,c.398,s.21; 1995,c.312,s.2.
58:4A-4.2.Sealing of abandoned borehole, well
3. The department shall have the power to direct the sealing of any abandoned borehole or well not in use, or any well when, in its judgment, the condition of the well endangers or threatens the subsurface or percolating waters by the intrusion of salt water or from any other cause, or if it endangers life. The department may, when it determines that an emergency condition exists, direct the prompt sealing of an abandoned borehole or well. An owner or drilling contractor of any abandoned borehole or well who is responsible for having that borehole or well sealed pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1951, c.193 (C.58:4A-4.1) but fails or refuses to seal it in the time and manner directed by the department shall be subject to the penalty provisions and other remedies set forth in section 20 of P.L.1947, c.377 (C.58:4A-24).
L.1951,c.193,s.3; amended 1979,c.398,s.22; 1995,c.312,s.3.
58:4A-4.2a.Departmental discretion to seal borehole well; treble damages
4.If a well is not in use, or if a well is found by the department to endanger or threaten the subsurface or percolating waters by the intrusion of salt water or from any other cause, or if it endangers life, or if an abandoned borehole exists, and the responsible party cannot be found or refuses to seal the borehole or well as directed by the department pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1951, c.193 (C.58:4A-4.2), the department may, in its discretion, act to seal the borehole or well. A responsible party who fails to comply with a directive to seal a borehole or well shall be liable to the department in an amount equal to three times the cost of sealing the borehole or well. The amount shall be assessed and recovered in accordance with section 20 of P.L.1947, c.377 (C.58:4A-24), and the amount collected shall be deposited in the "well sealing fund" established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1995, c.312 (C.58:4A-4.2b).
L.1995,c.312,s.4.
58:4A-4.2b."Well sealing fund" established
5.There is established in the Department of Environmental Protection a nonlapsing, revolving fund, to be known as the "well sealing fund." All penalties collected by the department for violations of sections 2 and 3 of P.L.1951, c.193 (C.58:4A-4.1 and C.58:4A-4.2), and all monies recovered by the department pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1995, c.312 (C.58:4A-4.2a), shall be deposited into the "well sealing fund." The fund shall be utilized solely for the purpose of administering and conducting a well sealing program as provided in section 4 of P.L.1995, c.312 (C.58:4A-4.2a).
L.1995,c.312,s.5.
