75-10-621. Hazardous waste/CERCLA special revenue account. (1) There is a hazardous waste/CERCLA special revenue account within the state special revenue fund established in 17-2-102.

(2) There must be paid into the hazardous waste/CERCLA account:

(a) proceeds from the resource indemnity and ground water assessment tax as provided by 15-38-106;

(b) revenue obtained from the interest income of the resource indemnity trust fund under the provisions of 15-38-202, together with interest accruing on that revenue;

(c) all proceeds of bonds or notes issued under 75-10-623 and all interest earned on proceeds of the bonds or notes; and

(d) revenue from penalties or damages collected under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended in 1986 (CERCLA).

(3) Appropriations may be made from the hazardous waste/CERCLA account only for the following purposes and subject to the following conditions:

(a) not more than one-half of the interest income received for any biennium from the resource indemnity trust fund may be appropriated on a biennial basis for:

(i) implementation of the Montana Hazardous Waste Act, including regulation of underground storage tanks and the state share to obtain matching federal funds;

(ii) implementation of Title 75, chapter 10, part 6, pertaining to state assistance to and cooperation with the federal government for remedial action under CERCLA;

(iii) expenses of the department in administering and overseeing the implementation of Title 75, chapter 10, parts 4 and 6; and

(iv) state expenses relating to investigation and remedial action for any hazardous substance defined in 75-10-602; and

(b) to the extent funds are available after the appropriations in subsection (3)(a), the department may, as appropriate, seek authorization from the legislature or, when the legislature is not in session, through the budget amendment process provided for in Title 17, chapter 7, part 4, to spend funds for:

(i) state participation in remedial action under section 104 of CERCLA;

(ii) state costs for maintenance of sites at which remedial action under CERCLA has been completed; and

(iii) the state share to obtain matching federal funds for underground storage tank corrective action.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3)(b), the legislature finds that a need for state special revenue to obtain matching federal funds for underground storage tank corrective action or for remedial action under section 104 of CERCLA constitutes a serious unforeseen and unanticipated circumstance for the purpose of meeting the definition of "emergency" in 17-7-102. The legislature further finds that the inability of the department to match the federal funds as the funds become available would seriously impair the functions of the department in carrying out its responsibilities under Title 75, chapter 10, parts 4 and 6.

(5) There is no dollar limit to the hazardous waste/CERCLA account. Unused balances remain in the account until appropriated by the legislature for the purposes specified in this section.