SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 99
(By Senator Sharpe)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study
appropriate sources of revenue to pay for future costs of
cleanup at 58 sites currently insured by the Underground
Storage Tank Insurance Fund.
Whereas, The Legislature created the Underground Storage Tank
Insurance Fund in 1988 to provide affordable insurance to owners
and operators of underground storage tanks to assist in compliance
with federal financial assurance requirements related to the
accidental release of petroleum into the environment; and
Whereas, The Fund has paid approximately $17 million for the
environmental remediation of underground storage tank sites through
October, 2000; and
Whereas, The Fund presently has insufficient assets to pay all
of the claims that have been made by the 58 remaining insured
facilities where environmental remediation is incomplete; and
Whereas, The Kanawha County Circuit Court recently issued an
order establishing an equitable plan to distribute all of the
Fund's remaining assets to these 58 insured facilities. Even after
that distribution, the facilities are expected to incur costs in
the future of up to $14 million to complete the cleanup of these
sites; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to study appropriate sources of revenue to pay for future
costs of cleanup at 58 sites currently insured by the Underground
Storage Tank Insurance Fund; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2005, on
its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts
of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.
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