112 STAT. 2681-321 PUBLIC LAW 105-277—OCT. 21, 1998 (2) ACCESS. —After transfer of the Recreation Area property, the Chairman shall be accorded any access to the property that may be reasonably required to carry out the responsibility or satisfy the liability referred to in paragraph (1). (3) No LIABILITY.—The Secretary shall not be liable under any environmental law for matters that are related directly or indirectly to present or past activities of the Tennessee Valley Authority on the Recreation Area property, including liability for— (A) costs or performance of response actions required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) at or related to the Recreation Area; or (B) costs, penalties, fines, or performance of actions related to noncompliance with any environmental law at or related to the Recreation Area or related to the presence, release, or threat of release of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, hazardous waste, hazardous material, or petroleum product or derivative of a petroleum product of any kind at or related to the Recreation Area, including contamination resulting from migration. (4) No EFFECT ON RESPONSIBILITIES OR LIABILITIES. —Except as provided in paragraph (3), nothing in this title affects, modifies, amends, repeals, alters, limits or otherwise changes, directly or indirectly, the responsibilities or liabilities under any environmental law with respect to the Secretary, (e) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Subject to the other provisions of this section, a Federal agency that carried or carries out operations at the Recreation Area resulting in the release or threatened release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, hazardous waste, hazardous material, or petroleum product or derivative of a petroleum product for which that agency would be liable under any environmental law shall pay the costs of related response actions and shall pay the costs of related actions to remediate petroleum products or their derivatives. 16 USC 460111- SEC. 547. PERSONNEL. (a) IN GENERAL. — (1) HIRING. — Notwithstanding section 3503 of title 5, United States Code, and subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may— (A) appoint, hire, and discharge officers and employees to administer the Recreation Area; and (B) pay the officers and employees at levels that are commensurate with levels at other units of the National Forest System. (2) INTERIM RETENTION OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.— (A) IN GENERAL.— For a period of not less than 5 months after the effective date of trsinsfer to the Forest Service— (i) all eligible employees shall be retained in the emplojntnent of the Tennessee Valley Authority; (ii) those eligible employees shall be considered to be placed on detail to the Secretary and shall be subject to the direction of the Secretary; and
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