(a) Authority of Secretary; prompt commencement of preparations

After notifying a State of the designation referred to in section 7912 of this title, the Secretary subject to section 7923 of this title, is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with such State to perform remedial actions at each designated processing site in such State (other than a site located on Indian lands referred to in section 7915 of this title). The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, enter into such agreements and carry out such remedial actions in accordance with the priorities established by him under section 7912 of this title. The Secretary shall commence preparations for cooperative agreements with respect to each designated processing site as promptly as practicable following the designation of each site.

(b) Terms and conditions; limitation of Federal assistance

Each cooperative agreement under this section shall contain such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate and consistent with the purposes of this chapter, including, but not limited to, a limitation on the use of Federal assistance to those costs which are directly required to complete the remedial action selected pursuant to section 7918 of this title.

(1) Except where the State is required to acquire the processing site as provided in subsection (a) of section 7914 of this title, each cooperative agreement with a State under this section shall provide that the State shall obtain, in a form prescribed by the Secretary, written consent from any person holding any record interest in the designated processing site for the Secretary or any person designated by him to perform remedial action at such site.

(2) Such written consent shall include a waiver by each such person on behalf of himself, his heirs, successors, and assigns—

(A) releasing the United States of any liability or claim thereof by such person, his heirs, successors, and assigns concerning such remedial action, and

(B) holding the United States harmless against any claim by such person on behalf of himself, his heirs, successors, or assigns arising out of the performance of any such remedial action.

(d) Inspection entries; termination of right of entry

Each cooperative agreement under this section shall require the State to assure that the Secretary, the Commission, and the Administrator and their authorized representatives have a permanent right of entry at any time to inspect the processing site and the site provided pursuant to section 7914(b)(1) of this title in furtherance of the provisions of this subchapter and to carry out such agreement and enforce this chapter and any rules prescribed under this chapter. Such right of entry under this section or section 7916 of this title into an area described in section 7911(6)(B) of this title shall terminate on completion of the remedial action, as determined by the Secretary.

(e) Effective date

Each agreement under this section shall take effect only upon the concurrence of the Commission with the terms and conditions thereof.

(f) Reimbursement

The Secretary may, in any cooperative agreement entered into under this section or section 7915 of this title, provide for reimbursement of the actual costs, as determined by the Secretary, of any remedial action performed with respect to so much of a designated processing site as is described in section 7911(6)(B) of this title. Such reimbursement shall be made only to a property owner of record at the time such remedial action was undertaken and only with respect to costs incurred by such property owner. No such reimbursement may be made unless—

(1) such remedial action was completed prior to November 8, 1978, and unless the application for such reimbursement was filed by such owner within one year after an agreement under this section or section 7915 of this title is approved by the Secretary and the Commission, and

(2) the Secretary is satisfied that such action adequately achieves the purposes of this chapter with respect to the site concerned and is consistent with the standards established by the Administrator pursuant to section 2022(a) of this title.