reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
AR Code § 8-11-102 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 11 - Arkansas Environmental Regulatory Flexibility Act|§ 8-11-102. Purpose

 (a) The improvement of the environment of the State of Arkansas is a matter of concern to all citizens of this state, and existing environmental law plays a critical role in protecting the environment.  (b) Environmental protection could be enhanced by authorizing innovative advances in environmental regulatory methods.  (c) Arkansas should develop environmental regulatory methods that:  (1) Encourage facility owners and operators to assess the pollution they emit or cause, directly and indirectly, to the air, water, and land;  (2) Encourage facility owners and operators to innovate, set measurable and verifiable goals, and implement the most effective pollution prevention, source reduction, or other pollution reduction strategies for their particular facilities while complying with verifiable and enforceable pollution limits;  (3) Reward facility owners and operators that reduce pollution to levels below those required by applicable law; and  (4) Reduce the time and money spent by agencies and facility owners and operators on paperwork and other administrative tasks that do not benefit the environment.
AR Code § 8-11-103 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 11 - Arkansas Environmental Regulatory Flexibility Act|§ 8-11-103. Regulatory flexibility

 (a)  (1) The Division of Environmental Quality, by order of the Director of the Division of Environmental Quality consistent with the purposes of this chapter, may approve requests which allow an applicant to use alternative methods to comply with an Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission rule regarding the control or abatement of pollution.  (2) However, the applicant must propose to control or abate pollution by an alternative method, provided the alternative method is:  (A) Quantifiable, measurable, and enforceable;  (B) At least as protective of the environment and the public health as the method prescribed by the requirement or commission rule that would otherwise apply; and  (C) Consistent with federal law.      (b) As a part of the approval process, the director shall provide for public notice and for public participation in considering requests under this section.  (c) The director's order must provide a specific description of the alternative method and must condition any approval on compliance with the method as the order prescribes.  (d) The division may establish a reasonable fee for applications under this section.  (e) A violation of an order issued under this section is punishable as if it were a violation of the previously effective means of compliance.
AR Code § 8-12-101 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 12 - Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act|§ 8-12-101. Title

 This chapter may be known and may be cited as the “Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act”.
AR Code § 8-12-102 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 12 - Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act|§ 8-12-102. Definitions

 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:   (1) “Board” means the Natural Resources Damages Advisory Board;  (2) “Fund” means the Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund created by this chapter; and  (3) “Natural resources” means land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, surface water, groundwater, drinking water supplies, and other such resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise controlled by the State of Arkansas or local government.
AR Code § 8-12-103 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 12 - Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act|§ 8-12-103. Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund

 (a)  (1) There is established on the books of the Treasurer of State, the Auditor of State, and the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State a trust fund to be known as the “Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund”.  (2) In addition to all moneys appropriated by the General Assembly to the fund, there shall be deposited into the fund all payments collected by the state for restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition of natural resources, any moneys received by the state as a gift or donation to the fund or any federal moneys designated to enter the fund, and all interest earned upon moneys deposited into the fund.  (3) All moneys received into the fund shall be utilized for natural resource restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition.    (b) All expenditures from the fund shall be authorized by the Natural Resources Damages Advisory Board according to the provisions of this chapter and the requirements or conditions of any orders, settlement agreements, gifts, or donations.
AR Code § 8-12-104 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 12 - Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act|§ 8-12-104. Natural Resources Damages Advisory Board

 (a) There is hereby created and established a Natural Resources Damages Advisory Board.  (b) The board shall be composed of seven (7) members:  (1) One (1) member shall be a representative from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation;  (2) One (1) member shall be a representative from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission;  (3) One (1) member shall be a representative from the Arkansas Forestry Commission;  (4) One (1) member shall be a representative from the Division of Environmental Quality;  (5) One (1) member shall be a representative from the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission;  (6) One (1) member shall be a representative of the Division of Arkansas Heritage; and  (7) One (1) member shall be a representative of the Attorney General's office.    (c) Members of the board shall serve without compensation.  (d) The board shall have the following powers and duties:  (1) To develop projects for the restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, and acquisition of natural resources;  (2) To request proposals for natural resource-related projects;  (3) To review and evaluate proposals for natural resource-related projects;  (4) To select projects for the restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, and acquisition of natural resources; and  (5) To approve payments from the Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund for projects and other activities relating to the restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, and acquisition of natural resources.
AR Code § 8-12-105 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 12 - Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund Act|§ 8-12-105. Duties of the Department of Finance and Administration

 (a) The Department of Finance and Administration shall administer the Natural Resources Damages Trust Fund, as authorized by the Natural Resources Damages Advisory Board.  (b) The department shall undertake the following activities, as authorized by the board:  (1) Develop and issue requests for proposals;  (2) Award grants for projects relating to natural resource restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, and acquisition;  (3) Contract for services; and  (4) Make payments from the fund.
AR Code § 8-13-101 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 13 - Management Organization|§ 8-13-101. Purpose

 It is recognized that:   (1) The improvement of the environment and the management of environmental concerns within the State of Arkansas are matters of interest to all citizens of this state;  (2) Environmental protection and improvement could be enhanced by authorizing the Director of the Division of Environmental Quality to design and establish a management organization which incorporates specific goals for environmental protection and uses environmental indicators to measure agency performance; and  (3) The director should execute a management process which:  (A) Creates an integrated agency information system;  (B) Organizes the Division of Environmental Quality according to business function;  (C) Utilizes environmental indicators to measure progress in protecting and enhancing the environment;  (D) Employs a collaborative public involvement process to define the environmental indicators to be used to measure environmental enhancement; and  (E) Establishes a performance-based financial management system that links the funding of agency activities to environmental results.
AR Code § 8-13-102 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 13 - Management Organization|§ 8-13-102. Authority to adopt alternative organization

 (a) The Director of the Division of Environmental Quality, with the advice and consent of the Secretary of the Department of Energy and Environment, may establish any number of divisions, offices, or units for the conduct of environmental affairs of the state and may prescribe the functions and duties of each division, office, or unit.  (b) Provided, however, that:  (1) All functions and duties prescribed by a grant agreement with an entity of the United States Government shall be maintained for the duration of the grant agreement;  (2)  (A) This section does not limit any provision of state law directing or requiring the Division of Environmental Quality to carry out any function or provide any service.  (B) However, nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the reassignment of functions or services assigned by state law where reassignment does not alter the obligation of the Division of Environmental Quality to continue providing such function or service;    (3) Such reorganization shall be based on a comprehensive analysis of all of the functions and duties administered by the Division of Environmental Quality and the development of a ten-year strategic plan of Division of Environmental Quality operations; and  (4) The conduct of such comprehensive analysis and the development of a strategic plan shall be financed by an appropriation or authorization of the General Assembly for these specific purposes.
AR Code § 8-14-101 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-101. Title

 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act”.
AR Code § 8-14-102 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-102. Purpose

 The purpose of this chapter is to conserve energy and preserve the environment through the regulation of outdoor lighting fixtures.
AR Code § 8-14-103 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-103. Definitions

 As used in this chapter:   (1) “Outdoor lighting fixture” means an automatically controlled, outdoor artificial illuminating device, whether permanent or portable, used for illumination or advertisement, including searchlights, spotlights, and floodlights, whether for architectural lighting, parking lot lighting, landscape lighting, billboards, or street lighting; and  (2) “Shielded” means a fixture that is covered in a manner that light rays emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, are projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest point on the fixture where light is emitted.
AR Code § 8-14-104 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-104. Shielding — Prohibitions — Exemptions

 (a)  (1)  (A) No public funds shall be used to install an outdoor lighting fixture unless it is shielded.  (B) Subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this section does not apply to any municipality or county if the governing body of the municipality or county determines by ordinance or to a municipally owned utility if the municipal employee responsible for procurement determines that the cost of acquiring a shielded outdoor lighting fixture will be prohibitive after comparing:  (i) The cost of the fixtures; and  (ii) The projected energy cost of the operation of the fixtures.      (2) The Division of Environmental Quality shall promulgate rules prohibiting any person or entity from knowingly placing or disposing of the bulb or tube portion of an electric lighting device containing hazardous levels of mercury in a landfill if:  (A) The electric lighting device contains more than two-tenths milligram per liter (0.2 mg/l) of leachable mercury as measured by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure as set out in United States Environmental Protection Agency Test Method 1311; and  (B) Adequate facilities exist for the public to properly dispose of the electric lighting device described in subdivision (a)(2)(A) of this section.    (3)  (A) Each electric public utility shall offer a shielded lighting service option.  (B) Each electric public utility shall file an application with the Arkansas Public Service Commission to establish a schedule of rates and charges for the provision of a shielded lighting service option to the utility's customers.  (C) The commission shall require each electric public utility to inform its customers of the availability of the shielded lighting service.      (b) This chapter does not apply to acquisitions of:  (1) Incandescent outdoor lighting fixtures of one hundred fifty watts (150 W) or less or other light sources of seventy watts (70 W) or less;  (2) Outdoor lighting fixtures on advertisement signs on interstate or federal primary highways;  (3)  (A) Outdoor lighting fixtures existing and legally installed before August 12, 2005.  (B) However, if an existing outdoor lighting fixture exempted from this chapter under subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section needs to be replaced, the acquisition of the replacement outdoor lighting fixture shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter;    (4) Navigational lighting systems at airports or other lighting necessary for aircraft safety; and  (5) Outdoor lighting fixtures that are necessary for worker safety at farms, ranches, dairies, or feedlots or industrial, mining, or oil and gas facilities.(c) This chapter does not apply to outdoor lighting fixtures maintained or installed by:  (6) A state-supported institution of higher education.       (1)  A public school district;    (2)  A correctional facility;    (3)  A juvenile detention facility;    (4)  An adult detention facility;    (5)  A mental health facility; or
AR Code § 8-14-105 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-105. Penalties

 Violations of this chapter are punishable by:   (1) A warning for a first offense; and  (2) A fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) minus the replacement cost for each offending outdoor lighting fixture for a second or subsequent offense or for an offense that continues for thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the warning.
AR Code § 8-14-106 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-106. Enforcement

 This chapter may be enforced by a town, city, or county of this state by seeking injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.
AR Code § 8-14-107 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 14 - Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act|§ 8-14-107. Provisions supplemental

 The provisions of this chapter are cumulative and supplemental and shall not apply within a town, city, or county of this state that by ordinance has adopted provisions restricting light pollution that are equal to or more stringent than the provisions of this chapter.
AR Code § 8-15-101 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-101. Title

 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Property Assessed Clean Energy Act”.
AR Code § 8-15-102 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-102. Definitions

 As used in this chapter:   (1)  (A) “Bond” means a revenue bond or note issued under this chapter.  (B) “Bond” includes any other financial obligation authorized by this chapter, the laws of this state, or the Arkansas Constitution;    (2) “District” means a property assessed energy improvement district established in this state by law for the express purpose of managing the PACE program;  (3) “Governmental entity” means a municipality, county, combination of cities or counties or both, or statewide district;  (4) “Owner” means an individual, partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity that is recognized by law and has title or interest in any real property;  (5) “PACE program” means a property assessed clean energy program under which a real property owner can finance an energy efficiency improvement, a renewable energy project, and a water conservation improvement on the real property; and  (6) “Person” means an individual, partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity recognized by law as having the power to contract.
AR Code § 8-15-103 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-103. Legislative findings

 The General Assembly finds that:   (1) It is in the best interests of the state to authorize property assessed energy improvement districts that make available to citizens one (1) or more financing programs, including without limitation a PACE program, to fund energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy projects, and water conservation improvements on residential, commercial, industrial, and other real properties at the request of the owner;  (2) The programs described in subdivision (1) of this section will benefit the citizens of this state by:  (A) Decreasing the cost of providing funds to participating citizens and lowering the aggregate issuance and servicing costs of loans; and  (B) Making funds available to rural communities throughout the state that might not otherwise create and finance the programs described in subdivision (1) of this section; and    (3) The programs described in subdivision (1) of this section will further the public purpose of:  (A) Creating jobs and stimulating the state's economy;  (B) Generating significant economic development through the investment of the proceeds of loans in local communities, including increased sales tax revenue;  (C) Protecting participating citizens from the financial impact of the rising cost of electricity produced from nonrenewable fuels;  (D) Providing positive cash flow in which the costs of the improvements are lower than the energy savings on an average monthly basis;  (E) Providing the citizens of this state with informed choices and additional options for financing improvements that may not otherwise be available;  (F) Increasing the value of the improved real property for participating citizens;  (G) Improving the state's air quality and conserving natural resources, including water;  (H) Attracting manufacturing facilities and related jobs to the state; and  (I) Promoting energy independence and security for the state and the nation.
AR Code § 8-15-104 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-104. Immunity

 (a) The powers and duties of a property assessed energy improvement district conferred by this chapter are public and governmental functions exercised for a public purpose and for matters of public necessity.  (b) The district and its personnel are immune from suit in tort for the performance of its duties under this chapter unless immunity from tort is expressly waived in writing.
AR Code § 8-15-105 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-105. Authority to create

 (a) A governmental entity legally authorized to issue general revenue bonds may create a property assessed energy improvement district by adoption of an ordinance.  (b) A combination of governmental entities may create a district by each governmental entity:  (1) Adopting an ordinance that provides for the governmental entity's participation in the district; and  (2) Entering into a joint agreement with one (1) or more other participating governmental entities.    (c) This section shall not limit additional governmental entities from becoming members of the district under § 8-15-106.
AR Code § 8-15-106 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-106. Membership in an existing district

 (a) To become a member of an existing property assessed energy improvement district, the governing body of a governmental entity shall:  (1) Adopt an ordinance that provides for the participation of the governmental entity in the district; and  (2) Enter into an agreement with the other participating members of the district.    (b) The agreement between members of a district shall establish the terms and conditions of the operation of the district with the limitations provided in this chapter.
AR Code § 8-15-107 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-107. Board of directors

 (a) A property assessed energy improvement district created under this chapter shall be operated and controlled by a board of directors.  (b) The board of directors shall manage and control each district, including without limitation the operations, business, and affairs of the district.  (c) The board of directors shall be solely responsible for selecting the chair of the board of directors and establishing the procedures by which the board of directors shall operate.  (d) A director shall not receive compensation in any form for his or her services as a director.  (e) Each director shall be entitled to reimbursement by the district for any necessary expenditures incurred in connection with the performance of his or her general duties as a director.
AR Code § 8-15-108 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 8 - Environmental Law|Chapter 15 - Property Assessed Clean Energy Act|§ 8-15-108. Membership on the board of directors

 (a) The board of directors of a property assessed energy improvement district shall consist of at least seven (7) directors.  (b) The board of directors shall include:  (1) For a statewide district, the members specified in the agreement establishing the district;  (2) For a district composed of a combination of one (1) or more counties and one (1) or more cities:  (A) The county judge or his or her designated representative of each county that is a member of the district;  (B) The mayor or his or her designated representative of each city that is a member of the district; and  (C) If the number of directors is fewer than seven (7) after fulfilling the requirements of subdivisions (b)(2)(A) and (B) of this section, additional members shall be appointed as specified in the agreement establishing the district until a total of seven (7) directors has been appointed;    (3) For a district composed of one (1) or more counties:  (A) The county judge or his or her designated representative of each county that is a member of the district; and  (B) If the number of directors is fewer than seven (7) after fulfilling the requirements of subdivision (b)(3)(A) of this section, additional members shall be appointed as specified in the agreement establishing the district until a total of seven (7) directors has been appointed; and    (4) For a district composed of one (1) or more cities:  (A) The mayor or his or her designated representative of each city that is a member of the district; and  (B) If the number of directors is fewer than seven (7) after fulfilling the requirements of subdivision (b)(4)(A) of this section, additional members shall be appointed as specified in the agreement establishing the district until a total of seven (7) directors has been appointed.      (c) The designated representative of a county judge or mayor under subsection (b) of this section shall be a qualified elector of the jurisdiction that the designated representative is appointed to represent.