Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Filed: 5/22/2013

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3349

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3349, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Legislative findings. In 1997, Public Act
690-502 established the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust
7Fund (Trust Fund) in response to requests by operators of
8retail drycleaning facilities to have financial resources
9available to pay for the cleanup of spills and leaks from
10drycleaning machines and solvent storage units.
11    The purpose of the Trust Fund is to pay for the remediation
12of soil and groundwater contamination at both inactive and
13active drycleaner sites, as well as prevent future spills and
14leaks of drycleaning solvent.
15    The Trust Fund consists of three primary programs: a
16licensing program, an insurance program, and a remedial
17program.

 

 

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1    The Trust Fund is financed by an annual license fee on
2active drycleaning facilities; a solvent fee tax charged on
3each gallon of drycleaning solvent purchased; and insurance
4premiums for pollution liability insurance coverage.
5    A private company currently provides third-party
6administrative services for the Trust Fund, including, but not
7limited to: receiving and processing license applications,
8receiving and processing applications for insurance coverage,
9receiving and processing claims, and furnishing other
10accounting and record-keeping services.
11    Over the course of its operation, the Trust Fund has paid
12over $31 million for remedial action and insurance claims.
13    The Trust Fund currently has a backlog of unpaid claims
14totaling $27 million.
15    There are approximately 230 sites that still need to be
16remediated using moneys in the Trust Fund.
17    Under the current system, the Trust Fund's existing funding
18sources will not be sufficient to keep up with projected costs
19and remedial action and insurance claims; thereby increasing
20the potential for drycleaning solvent releases to impact a
21larger number of drinking water supplies and threatening many
22others across the State.
23    The most recent estimate of reimbursement fund balance
24reveals the Trust Fund is projected to have a deficit of $14
25million by its sunset date of January 1, 2020.
26    Most drycleaners are small, independently-owned

 

 

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1businesses, and if the Trust Fund is not solvent, drycleaners
2may not be able to remediate solvent releases in a responsible
3manner.
4    The General Assembly finds that it is necessary to form a
5Task Force to study the resource challenges and implementation
6issues that the Trust Fund currently faces.
 
7    Section 5. The Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust
8Fund Act is amended by changing Section 45 and by adding
9Section 27 as follows:
 
10    (415 ILCS 135/27 new)
11    Sec. 27. Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Task
12Force.
13    (a) There is created the Drycleaner Environmental Response
14Trust Fund Task Force ("Task Force"). The Task Force shall
15study the resource challenges and implementation issues that
16the Fund faces and make recommendations for adequately funding
17the Fund and for refining and improving the goals and
18implementation of the Trust Fund program. In conducting the
19study of the Trust Fund program, the Task Force shall consider
20appropriate changes to the existing program, including, but not
21limited to, the following: administration of the program,
22program eligibility, program goals, fee structures,
23administrative expenses, licensing requirements, benefits for
24participation, compliance assurance and continuing education

 

 

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1standards, and sunset date.
2    (b) The Council shall be composed of the following members:
3        (1) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House,
4    one of whom shall be designated as co-chairperson of the
5    Task Force;
6        (2) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
7    House;
8        (3) Two members appointed by the President of the
9    Senate, one of whom shall be designated as co-chairperson
10    of the Task Force;
11        (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
12    Senate;
13        (5) Seven members appointed by the Governor to
14    represent the dry cleaning industry, including two members
15    who represent a statewide dry cleaners' organization,
16    three members who represent regional or major metropolitan
17    dry cleaning associations, and two members representing an
18    in-state wholesale distributor of dry cleaning agents;
19        (6) One person appointed by the Governor to represent
20    the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council;
21    and
22        (7) The Director of the Illinois Environmental
23    Protection Agency, or his or her designee.
24    (c) The members of the Task Force shall serve without
25compensation.
26    (d) The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall

 

 

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1provide administrative support to the Task Force.
2    (e) In making its determinations, the Task Force must hold
3at least 3 public meetings in 3 separate metropolitan areas of
4the State.
5    (f) The Task Force shall submit a report of its findings
6and recommendations, which shall include proposed legislation,
7to the Governor and to the General Assembly by no later than
8December 31, 2014.
9    (g) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2016.
 
10    (415 ILCS 135/45)
11    Sec. 45. Insurance account.
12    (a) The insurance account shall offer financial assurance
13for a qualified owner or operator of a drycleaning facility
14under the terms and conditions provided for under this Section.
15Coverage may be provided to either the owner or the operator of
16a drycleaning facility. The Council is not required to resolve
17whether the owner or operator, or both, are responsible for a
18release under the terms of an agreement between the owner and
19operator.
20    (b) The source of funds for the insurance account shall be
21as follows:
22        (1) Moneys appropriated to the Council or moneys
23    allocated to the insurance account by the Council according
24    to the Fund budget approved by the Council.
25        (2) Moneys collected as an insurance premium,

 

 

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1    including service fees, if any.
2        (3) Investment income attributed to the insurance
3    account by the Council.
4    (c) An owner or operator may purchase coverage of up to
5$500,000 per drycleaning facility subject to the terms and
6conditions under this Section and those adopted by the Council.
7Coverage shall be limited to remedial action costs associated
8with soil and groundwater contamination resulting from a
9release of drycleaning solvent at an insured drycleaning
10facility, including third-party liability for soil and
11groundwater contamination. Coverage is not provided for a
12release that occurred before the date of coverage.
13    (d) An owner or operator, subject to underwriting
14requirements and terms and conditions deemed necessary and
15convenient by the Council, may purchase insurance coverage from
16the insurance account provided that the drycleaning facility to
17be insured meets the following conditions:
18        (1) a site investigation designed to identify soil and
19    groundwater contamination resulting from the release of a
20    drycleaning solvent has been completed. The Council shall
21    determine if the site investigation is adequate. This
22    investigation must be completed by June 30, 2006. For
23    drycleaning facilities that apply for insurance coverage
24    after June 30, 2006, the site investigation must be
25    completed prior to issuance of insurance coverage; and
26        (2) the drycleaning facility is participating in and

 

 

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1    meets all requirements of a drycleaning compliance program
2    approved by the Council.
3    (e) The annual premium for insurance coverage shall be:
4        (1) For the year July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000,
5    $250 per drycleaning facility.
6        (2) For the year July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001,
7    $375 per drycleaning facility.
8        (3) For the year July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002,
9    $500 per drycleaning facility.
10        (4) For the year July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003,
11    $625 per drycleaning facility.
12        (5) For subsequent years, an owner or operator applying
13    for coverage shall pay an annual actuarially-sound
14    insurance premium for coverage by the insurance account.
15    The Council may approve Fund coverage through the payment
16    of a premium established on an actuarially-sound basis,
17    taking into consideration the risk to the insurance account
18    presented by the insured. Risk factor adjustments utilized
19    to determine actuarially-sound insurance premiums should
20    reflect the range of risk presented by the variety of
21    drycleaning systems, monitoring systems, drycleaning
22    volume, risk management practices, and other factors as
23    determined by the Council. As used in this item,
24    "actuarially sound" is not limited to Fund premium revenue
25    equaling or exceeding Fund expenditures for the general
26    drycleaning facility population. Actuarially-determined

 

 

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1    premiums shall be published at least 180 days prior to the
2    premiums becoming effective.
3    (e-5) If an insurer sends a second notice to an owner or
4operator demanding immediate payment of a past-due premium for
5insurance services provided pursuant to this Act, the demand
6for payment must offer a grace period of not less than 30 days
7during which the owner or operator shall be allowed to pay any
8premiums due. If payment is made during that period, coverage
9under this Act shall not be terminated for non-payment by the
10insurer.
11    (e-6) If an insurer terminates an owner or operator's
12coverage under this Act, the insurer must send a written notice
13to the owner or operator to inform him or her of the
14termination of that coverage, and that notice must include
15instructions on how to seek reinstatement of coverage, as well
16as information concerning any premiums or penalties that might
17be due.
18    (f) If coverage is purchased for any part of a year, the
19purchaser shall pay the full annual premium. The insurance
20premium is fully earned upon issuance of the insurance policy.
21    (g) The insurance coverage shall be provided with a $10,000
22deductible policy.
23    (h) A future repeal of this Section shall not terminate the
24obligations under this Section or authority necessary to
25administer the obligations until the obligations are
26satisfied, including but not limited to the payment of claims

 

 

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1filed prior to the effective date of any future repeal against
2the insurance account until moneys in the account are
3exhausted. Upon exhaustion of the moneys in the account, any
4remaining claims shall be invalid. If moneys remain in the
5account following satisfaction of the obligations under this
6Section, the remaining moneys and moneys due the account shall
7be used to assist current insureds to obtain a viable insuring
8mechanism as determined by the Council after public notice and
9opportunity for comment.
10(Source: P.A. 93-201, eff. 1-1-04.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.".