Ch. 532

1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(g) Money in the Fund not needed currently to meet the Department of the
Environment'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 the Environment 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.

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

(3)     Development of containment and clean-up equipment, plans, and
procedures in accordance with the purposes of this section.

(4)     Paying insurance costs by the State to extend or implement the benefits
of the Fund.

(h) The Department shall provide the standing committees of the Maryland
General Assembly with primary jurisdiction over this section with a status report on the
Fund on or before [July] OCTOBER 1 of each year. The report shall include an
accounting of all moneys expended for each of the purposes specified in subsection (g) of
this section.

4-602.

(a)     On or before September 1, 1991 AND UNTIL JULY 1, 1996, a fee shall be paid
annually to the Department for each underground storage tank in the State unless the
tank is used exclusively for the production, distribution, or sale of petroleum by the owner
of the tank.

(b)     The tank fee imposed under this section [shall] MAY not exceed:

(1)     $100 for each tank having a maximum capacity of under 1,100 gallons;
and

(2)     $200 for each tank having a maximum capacity of 1,100 gallons or more.

(C) THE TANK FEE IMPOSED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY BE WAIVED OR
REDUCED PROVIDED THAT:

(1)     THE OWNER OF THE TANK HAS NOT BEEN BILLED FOR THE FEE FOR
2 CONSECUTIVE YEARS; AND

(2)     BY OCTOBER 1, 1996, THE OWNER OF THE TANK UPGRADES,
REPLACES, OR REMOVES THE TANK TO MEET THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF
THE UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK REGULATION ADOPTED UNDER SUBTITLE 4
OF THIS TITLE.

- 3058 -