House panel backs fee realignment to sustain oil cleanup, spill-response funds

The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday recommended that House Bill 658 ought to pass, approving a package of fee adjustments and reimbursement changes intended to keep the state’s oil cleanup and spill‑response funds solvent.

The committee vote followed a detailed presentation by the Department of Environmental Services. Robert Bishop, administrator of the Oil Remediation and Compliance Bureau, told the panel the bill “impacts 2 different funds” and makes four statutory changes: it adjusts several per‑product import fees, raises the cap on reimbursements for low‑income homeowners who must replace leaking home‑heating oil tanks, extends the funds’ fee collection for 10 years, and amends an annual reporting date.

The measure stems from an actuarial review the Oil Fund Disbursement Board commissioned. Bishop said the review examined 10 years of spill and inventory data and sought to balance expected…