147-A:10 Confiscation of Property. –
I. Any property of a generator, owner, operator, or transporter including, but not limited to, vehicles, containers, documents and wastes, used in connection with the disposal, storage, treatment, or transportation of hazardous waste in violation of RSA 147-A or RSA 106-A:17-RSA 106-A:19 may be seized by the state. The property shall be stored as directed by the court so that the property may be used as evidence in a trial relating to the violation.
II. Within 14 days of seizure of any property, the attorney general shall file a libel in the superior court of the county in which the property was seized, requesting forfeiture of the property. The court shall issue a summons requiring the state to send by certified mail a copy of the libel to the owner of the property and other persons appearing to have an interest in the property.
III. The superior court shall promptly hold a hearing which shall be conducted as a civil in rem action without a jury and shall order forfeiture of the property if the state establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the owner knew or should have known that the property was used in the illegal treatment, transportation, storage or disposal of hazardous waste.
IV. The court may order the sale of the confiscated property or any other disposition, in the court's discretion as justice may require. After deducting the storage expenses, the proceeds from the sale of the confiscated property shall be transferred to the New Hampshire hazardous waste cleanup fund established under RSA 147-B.
Source. 1981, 413:2. 1994, 199:13, eff. July 23, 1994. 2014, 204:7, eff. July 11, 2014.