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Business Taxes Law Guide—Revision 2024
Underground Storage Tank Maintenance Fee Law
Health and Safety Code
Division 20. Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions
Chapter 6.75. Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Cleanup
Article 6. Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund
Section 25299.58
25299.58. Reimbursable costs by board. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (d), if the board makes the determination specified in subdivision (b), the board may reimburse only those costs that are related to the compensation of third parties for bodily injury and property damages and that exceed the level of financial responsibility required to be obtained pursuant to Section 25299.32, but not more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) for each occurrence.
(b) A claim may be paid if the board makes all of the following findings:
(1) There has been an unauthorized release of petroleum into the environment from an underground storage tank.
(2) The claimant has been ordered to pay a settlement or final judgment for third-party bodily injury or property damage arising from operating an underground storage tank.
(3) The claimant has complied with Section 25299.31.
(4) (A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), the claimant has complied with the permit requirements of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280). A claimant shall obtain a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim when the claimant becomes subject to subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or when the applicable local agency begins issuing permits pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25284, whichever occurs later. For the purpose of this subparagraph, a claimant shall demonstrate compliance with the permit requirements of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280) by submitting copies of the required permits. If copies of the required permits are unavailable, the claimant may certify that the claimant obtained the required permits but no longer has copies of them and provide any other documentation tending to show that the claimant obtained the required permits, including, but not limited to, approved permit applications, records of payment of permit fees, and inspection reports. In determining whether a claimant has complied with the permit requirements of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280), the board shall consider all available documentation, including any documentation available from the applicable local agency regarding the claimant’s compliance with the permit requirements of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280).
(B) A claimant who acquires real property on which an underground storage tank is situated and, despite the exercise of reasonable diligence, was unaware of the existence of the underground storage tank when the real property was acquired, has obtained a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim within a reasonable period, not to exceed one year, from when the claimant should have become aware of the existence of the underground storage tank, or when the applicable local agency began issuing permits pursuant to Section 25284, whichever occurs later.
(C) All claimants who file their claim on or after January 1, 2008, and who do not obtain a permit required by subdivision (a) of Section 25284 in accordance with subparagraph (A) or (B) may seek a waiver of the requirement to obtain a permit. The board shall waive the provisions of subparagraphs (A) and (B) as a condition for payment from the fund if the board finds all of the following:
(i) The claimant was unaware of the permit requirement, and upon becoming aware of the permit requirement, the claimant complies with subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or Section 25298 and the regulations adopted to implement those sections within a reasonable period, not to exceed one year, from when the claimant became aware of the permit requirement.
(ii) Prior to submittal of the application to the fund, the claimant has complied with Section 25299.31 and has obtained and paid for all permits currently required by this paragraph.
(iii) Prior to submittal of the application to the fund, the claimant has paid all fees, interest, and penalties imposed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 25299.40) of this chapter and Part 26 (commencing with Section 50101) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim.
(D) (i) A claimant who is exempted pursuant to subparagraph (C) and who has complied, on or before December 22, 1998, with subdivision (a) of Section 25284 or Section 25298 and the regulations adopted to implement those sections, shall obtain a level of financial responsibility in an amount twice as great as the amount that the claimant is otherwise required to obtain pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25299.32, but in no event less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). All other claimants exempted pursuant to subparagraph (C) shall obtain a level of financial responsibility that is four times as great as the amount that the claimant is otherwise required to obtain pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25299.32, but in no event less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
(ii) The board may waive the requirements of clause (i) if the claimant can demonstrate that the conditions specified in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (C) were satisfied prior to any contamination having been caused. The demonstration may be made through a certification issued by the permitting agency based on a site evaluation and tank tests at the time of permit application or in any other manner as may be acceptable to the board.
(E) All claimants who file a claim before January 1, 2008, and who are not eligible for a waiver of the permit requirements pursuant to applicable statutes or regulations in effect on the date of the filing of the claim may resubmit a new claim pursuant to subparagraph (C) on or after January 1, 2008. The board shall rank all claims resubmitted pursuant to subparagraph (C) lower than all claims filed before January 1, 2008, within their respective priority classes specified in subdivision (b) of Section 25299.52.
(5) The claimant is required to undertake or contract for corrective action pursuant to Section 25296.10, under the federal act, or under Section 6973 of Title 42 of the United States Code, or, as of January 1, 1988, the claimant has initiated corrective action in accordance with Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code or Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280).
(6) (A) The claimant has paid all fees, interest, and penalties imposed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 25299.40) of this chapter and Part 26 (commencing with Section 50101) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for the underground storage tank that is the subject of the claim.
(B) The board may accept a claimant's statement certifying to the best of the claimant's knowledge that payment was made to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to demonstrate satisfaction of the requirements of subparagraph (A) if both of the following apply:
(1) Records maintained by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration show that fees and, if applicable, interest and penalties, have been paid by the claimant for the period corresponding to the claimant's ownership or operation of the tank that is the subject of the claim.
(2) The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and the claimant are not able to document that the payments received by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration were or were not specifically related to the tank that is the subject of the claim.
(c) A claimant may be reimbursed by the fund for compensation of third parties for only the following:
(1) Medical expenses.
(2) Actual lost wages or business income.
(3) Actual expenses for remedial action to remedy the effects of damage to the property of the third party caused by the unauthorized release of petroleum from an underground storage tank.
(4) The fair market value of the property rendered permanently unsuitable for use by the unauthorized release of petroleum from an underground storage tank.
(d) The board shall pay a claim submitted by a person eligible to submit a claim pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 25299.54 for the costs related to the compensation of third parties for bodily injury and property damages that exceed the level of financial responsibility required to be obtained pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 25299.32, but not more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) for each occurrence.