415 ILCS 5/57.11

(415 ILCS 5/57.11)

Sec. 57.11. Underground Storage Tank Fund; creation.

(a) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the Underground Storage Tank Fund. There shall be deposited into the Underground Storage Tank Fund all moneys received by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as fees for underground storage tanks under Sections 4 and 5 of the Gasoline Storage Act, fees pursuant to the Motor Fuel Tax Law, and beginning July 1, 2013, payments pursuant to the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act. All amounts held in the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall be invested at interest by the State Treasurer. All income earned from the investments shall be deposited into the Underground Storage Tank Fund no less frequently than quarterly. In addition to any other transfers that may be provided for by law, beginning on July 1, 2018 and on the first day of each month thereafter during fiscal years 2019 through 2025 only, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer an amount equal to 1/12 of $10,000,000 from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the General Revenue Fund. Moneys in the Underground Storage Tank Fund, pursuant to appropriation, may be used by the Agency and the Office of the State Fire Marshal for the following purposes:

(1) To take action authorized under Section 57.12 to recover costs under Section 57.12.

(2) To assist in the reduction and mitigation of damage caused by leaks from underground storage tanks, including but not limited to, providing alternative water supplies to persons whose drinking water has become contaminated as a result of those leaks.

(3) To be used as a matching amount towards federal assistance relative to the release of petroleum from underground storage tanks.

(4) For the costs of administering activities of the Agency and the Office of the State Fire Marshal relative to the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

(5) For payment of costs of corrective action incurred by and indemnification to operators of underground storage tanks as provided in this Title.

(6) For a total of 2 demonstration projects in amounts in excess of a $10,000 deductible charge designed to assess the viability of corrective action projects at sites which have experienced contamination from petroleum releases. Such demonstration projects shall be conducted in accordance with the provision of this Title.

(7) Subject to appropriation, moneys in the Underground Storage Tank Fund may also be used by the Department of Revenue for the costs of administering its activities relative to the Fund and for refunds provided for in Section 13a.8 of the Motor Fuel Tax Law.

(b) Moneys in the Underground Storage Tank Fund may, pursuant to appropriation, be used by the Office of the State Fire Marshal or the Agency to take whatever emergency action is necessary or appropriate to assure that the public health or safety is not threatened whenever there is a release or substantial threat of a release of petroleum from an underground storage tank and for the costs of administering its activities relative to the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

(c) Beginning July 1, 1993, the Governor shall certify to the State Comptroller and State Treasurer the monthly amount necessary to pay debt service on State obligations issued pursuant to Section 6 of the General Obligation Bond Act. On the last day of each month, the Comptroller shall order transferred and the Treasurer shall transfer from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the General Obligation Bond Retirement and Interest Fund the amount certified by the Governor, plus any cumulative deficiency in those transfers for prior months.

(d) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, the Underground Storage Tank Fund is not subject to administrative charges authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act that would in any way transfer any funds from the Underground Storage Tank Fund into any other fund of the State.

(e) Each fiscal year, subject to appropriation, the Agency may commit up to $10,000,000 of the moneys in the Underground Storage Tank Fund to the payment of corrective action costs for legacy sites that meet one or more of the following criteria as a result of the underground storage tank release: (i) the presence of free product, (ii) contamination within a regulated recharge area, a wellhead protection area, or the setback zone of a potable water supply well, (iii) contamination extending beyond the boundaries of the site where the release occurred, or (iv) such other criteria as may be adopted in Agency rules.

(1) Fund moneys committed under this subsection (e) shall be held in the Fund for payment of the corrective action costs for which the moneys were committed.

(2) The Agency may adopt rules governing the commitment of Fund moneys under this subsection (e).

(3) This subsection (e) does not limit the use of Fund moneys at legacy sites as otherwise provided under this Title.

(4) For the purposes of this subsection (e), the term "legacy site" means a site for which (i) an underground storage tank release was reported prior to January 1, 2005, (ii) the owner or operator has been determined eligible to receive payment from the Fund for corrective action costs, and (iii) the Agency did not receive any applications for payment prior to January 1, 2010.

(f) Beginning July 1, 2013, if the amounts deposited into the Fund from moneys received by the Office of the State Fire Marshal as fees for underground storage tanks under Sections 4 and 5 of the Gasoline Storage Act and as fees pursuant to the Motor Fuel Tax Law during a State fiscal year are sufficient to pay all claims for payment by the fund received during that State fiscal year, then the amount of any payments into the fund pursuant to the Use Tax Act, the Service Use Tax Act, the Service Occupation Tax Act, and the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act during that State fiscal year shall be deposited as follows: 75% thereof shall be paid into the State treasury and 25% shall be reserved in a special account and used only for the transfer to the Common School Fund as part of the monthly transfer from the General Revenue Fund in accordance with Section 8a of the State Finance Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-588, eff. 6-5-24.)