Marvin Mandel, Governor                          1183

BY FINE OF NOT LESS THAN $500.00 NOR MORE THAN
$10,000.00.

29G.

(a) The Maryland Oil Disaster Research, Development CON-
TAINMENT, CLEAN-UP and Contingency Fund is established, to
be used by the Department of Natural Resources for the purposes
of research and development of equipment, personnel and plans; and
for contingency actions to respond to, contain, clean-up and remove
from the land and waters of the State, discharges of oil, petroleum
products and their by-products into, upon or adjacent to, the waters
of the state; and to restore natural resources damaged by such dis-
charges, the. THE cost of containment, clean-up, removal and
restoration shall be reimbursed the State by the person responsible
for the discharge and this reimbursement shall be credited to the
fund. The fund shall be limited to the sum of $2,000,000.00
$500,000.00. To this sum shall be credited all license fees, penalties,
and other charges related to this subtitle, and to this fund shall
be charged any and all expenses of the Department of Natural
Resources related to this subtitle. At the time that the balance in the
fund reaches the limit, license fees shall be temporarily abated or
adjusted so that the limit shall not be exceeded for the next succeed-
ing year PURSUANT TO SECTION 29F(B).

(b)    Moneys in the fund not needed currently to meet the obliga-
tions of the Department in the exercise of its responsibilities under
this subtitle shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the State to
the credit of the fund and may be invested as provided by statute.
Interest received on the investment shall be credited to the Mary-
land Oil Disaster Research, Development CONTAINMENT,
CLEAN-UP and Contingency Fund.

(c)    The Secretary of Natural Resources shall determine the
proper allocation of the monies credited to the Maryland Oil Disaster
CONTAINMENT, CLEAN-UP AND Contingency Fund for the
following purposes and no others:

(1)    Administrative expenses, personnel expenses, and equipment
costs of the Department related to the purposes of this subtitle.

(2)    Prevention, control, containment, clean-up and removal of dis-
charges into, upon or adjacent to the waters of the State of dis-
charges of oil, petroleum products and their by-products, and the
restoration of natural resources damaged by such discharges.

(3)    Research and development DEVELOPMENT OF CON-
TAINMENT AND CLEAN-UP EQUIPMENT, PLANS AND PRO-
CEDURES in accordance with the purposes of this section.

(4) Payment of costs of insurance by the State to extend or imple-
ment the benefits of the fund.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1972.

Approved May 26, 1972.