Bill > HB5317

This bill amends the Environmental Protection Act to allow municipalities and counties to address petroleum orphan underground storage tanks, which are tanks without an identifiable owner or operator subject to cleanup requirements. These local governments can now perform tank removal, abandonment, site investigation, and corrective action, similar to how owners or operators would, and their costs will be eligible for payment from the Underground Storage Tank Fund, a state fund established to cover expenses related to leaking underground storage tanks. This change provides a mechanism for local entities to clean up these abandoned tanks without needing to formally declare themselves as owners, and ensures that the cleanup costs are covered by the dedicated fund.