HARRY HUGHES, Governor

107

The annual fee may not be less than $250 nor greater
than $5,000. However, the maximum paid by any one person
may not exceed $25,000. At the time the fund reaches its
maximum of $1,000,000, collection of the annual license fees
shall be abated. Annual fees shall be paid by these
facilities to the State Comptroller and upon receipt by him
credited to the Maryland Oil Disaster Containment, Clean-Up
and Contingency Fund. Annual fees shall be paid by these
facilities not later than September 1, for the fiscal year
beginning July 1 immediately preceding. The collection of
license fees for any one year may not exceed the sum of
$250,000. Any excess over $250,000 shall be credited or
refunded to the licensees on a prorated basis.

(d) Same — Conditions. — As a condition precedent to
the issuance or renewal of a license, the Department OF
HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE shall require satisfactory
evidence that the applicant has implemented or is in the
process of implementing State and federal plans and
regulations to control pollution related to oil, petroleum
products, and their by-products and the abatement thereof
when a discharge occurs.

(f)  Maryland Oil Disaster Containment, Clean-Up and
Contingency Fund — Established; purpose; reimbursement by
polluters; credits; debits. — There is a Maryland Oil
Disaster Containment, Clean-up and Contingency Fund for the
Department to use to develop equipment, personnel, and
plans; 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
restore natural resources damaged by discharges. The cost of
containment, clean-up, removal, and restoration shall be
reimbursed to the State by the person responsible for the
discharge. The reimbursement shall be credited to the Fund.
The Fund shall be limited to the sum of $1,000,000. To this
sum shall be credited every license fee, fine, if imposed by
the circuit court for any county or the Criminal Court of
Baltimore, as the case may be, and any other charge related
to this subtitle. To this Fund shall be charged every
expense the Department OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE has
which relates to this section.

(g)  Same — Use of funds not currently needed.--
Money in the Fund not needed currently to meet the
[Department's] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE'S
obligations in the exercise of its responsibility under this
section shall be deposited with the State Treasurer to the
credit of the Fund, and may be invested as provided by law.
Interest received on the investment shall be credited to the
Fund. The Secretary OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE shall
determine the proper allocation of the moneys credited to
the Fund only for the following purposes:

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