127th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1303 LR 536(02)
An Act To Stabilize and Streamline the Department of Environmental Protection's Ground Water Oil Clean-up Fund and Maine Coastal and Inland Surface Oil Clean-up Fund
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
FY 2015-16 FY 2016-17 Projections  FY 2017-18 Projections  FY 2018-19
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds ($250,000) ($250,000) ($250,000) ($250,000)
Revenue
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $0 $0 $0
Transfers
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $0 $0 $0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill combines the Ground Water Oil Clean-up Fund and the Maine Coastal and Inland Surface Water Clean-up Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and names the combined fund the Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean-up and Response Fund (Response Fund). The Response Fund will be used to respond to oil spills and clean-up activities, repair, retrofit, replace or remove aboveground and underground oil storage tanks, as well as undertake certain other activities. This bill allows the Clean-up and Response Fund Review Board to adopt rules raising fees on barrels of certain fuel if the Response Fund's balance becomes $6,000,000 or less. These fee increases terminate when the Response Fund's balance reaches $10,000,000. No estimate is made at this time of the potential amount of revenue that would be generated from this fee increase. Combining these two funds will not change the amount of revenue to the DEP. There will be total transfers of $831,509 and $827,736 in fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively, from the Response Fund for staff time for reporting oil spills, providing the Board of Environmental Protection with funds and other related costs. Under current law, yearly allocations may not exceed $250,000 for certain research and development costs and this bill places a $100,000 maximum on allocations per year. The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds deallocations of $250,000 in each of fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17 from projected savings from combining these funds and reducing the maximum amount allowed for allocations for research and development.