Senate Bill 2454

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO TRANSFER AND CONVEY CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT COLUMBIA TRAINING SCHOOL IN MARION COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI TO THE MARION COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Finance and Administration may transfer and convey to the Marion County Board of Supervisors certain real property located at Columbia Training School in Marion County, Mississippi. Such real property contains approximately one thousand seven hundred eighty (1,780) acres lying North of Highway 44 and is more particularly described as follows:

In Section 34, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi:

All that part of the NW 1/4 lying North of Mississippi Highway #44.

Also, all that part of the NE 1/4 lying North of Mississippi #44.

In Section 27, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi:

The W 1/2.

The NE 1/4.

The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4.

The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of the SE 1/4.

In Section 28, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi:

The E 1/2 of the NE 1/4.

In Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi:

The E 1/2.

The E 1/2 of the NW 1/4.

The SW 1/4.

The S 1/2 of the SW 1/4 of NW 1/4.

In Section 15, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi:

Entire Section, less and except the W 1/4 thereof.

Containing 1,780 acres, more or less.

(2) The State of Mississippi shall retain any mineral rights to the property transferred and conveyed under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The Legislature finds and determines that the real property transferred under subsection (1) of this section was free of hazardous waste and in its natural state when the property was donated to the State of Mississippi by the citizens of Marion County, Mississippi, in 1916 and 1917 and that the property shall be returned in substantially the same condition.

(4) Accordingly, the Department of Finance and Administration shall ensure that the following terms and conditions are satisfied before the property is transferred:

(a) The property shall be made environmentally safe and free of hazardous materials or contaminants;

(b) Any structures thereon shall either be removed or made habitable and free of hazardous materials; and

(c) Within ninety (90) days from and after the effective date of this bill, a Phase I environmental study shall be conducted by a qualified company licensed by the State of Mississippi at the state's expense. If the study discloses that environmental issues require remedial cleanup or that state or federal guidelines require additional study of those issues, the state shall bear the sole cost of the cleanup or additional study.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.