House of Representatives

SB 1338

underground storage tanks

Sponsors: Senators Richardson, Guenther, Representative Huffman

X	Committee on Environment
	Caucus and COW
	Third Read
	As Passed the House

SB 1338 makes revisions in the preapproval portion of the DEQ underground storage tank cleanup program.

History

DEQ administers the UST state assurance fund (SAF) through an application process. Based on points for risk to health and the environment, points for financial need and points for time an applicant has to wait for payment, applications are prioritized for payment. Since the program’s inception, approximately 11,000 applications totaling over $434 million have been processed, with an average claim of approximately $40,000. Based on the existing average claim size and anticipated number of future claims, DEQ projects year end negative balances of $90 million in FY 02 and $110 million in FY 03. Funds are derived from an underground storage of one cent per gallon of regulated substance (primarily petroleum). The original UST statutes were passed in 1990.

Provisions

· Removes the requirement that the department’s review of corrective action costs that were preapproved is limited to determining whether the corrective actions were actually performed and whether the corrective actions and costs conform to the preapproval.

· Makes a variety of revisions to preapproval payments.

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45th Legislature

Second Regular Session 2 April 16, 2002

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