81-15,121.

Tanks; permit; when required; fees; application; Underground Storage Tank Fund; created; investment.

(1) A person shall not (a) maintain or use any tank for the storage of regulated substances, (b) install any new tank, or (c) permanently close a tank without first securing a permit from the State Fire Marshal.

(2) A fee shall not be charged for a permit under subdivision (1)(a) or (c) of this section. The fee for a permit for installation shall be fifty dollars. The State Fire Marshal shall remit the fee to the State Treasurer for credit to the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

(3) All owners of operating tanks, except those provided for in subsection (4) of this section, shall annually register each tank. All registration permits shall expire on December 31 of the year for which the permit was issued. The registration fee shall be thirty dollars per tank. The State Fire Marshal shall remit the fee to the State Treasurer for credit to the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Such permits shall contain the information specified in subsection (5) of this section.

(4) In the case of tanks permanently abandoned on or after January 1, 1974, an annual permit shall not be required and an initial registration permit shall be sufficient.

(5) The application for a registration permit shall be provided by and filed with the State Fire Marshal's office and shall require, but not be limited to, the following information:

(a) The date the tank was placed in or taken out of operation;

(b) The age of the tank;

(c) The size, type, and location of the tank; and

(d) The type of substances stored in the tank and the quantity of such substances remaining in the tank if the tank has been permanently closed.

(6) The registration permit fee collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Underground Storage Tank Fund which is hereby created as a cash fund. The fund shall also consist of any money appropriated to the fund by the state. The fund shall be administered by the State Fire Marshal to carry out the purposes of the Petroleum Products and Hazardous Substances Storage and Handling Act. Transfers may be made from the fund to the General Fund at the direction of the Legislature. Any money in the Underground Storage Tank Fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.