Amount of money in fund; investments; transfer to state

Ind. Code § 14-37-10-4, under Chapter 10. Oil and Gas Environmental Fund.

Ind. Code § 14-37-10-4

general fund Sec. 4. (a) Except as provided in subsection (d), money in the fund does not revert to the state general fund at the end of a state fiscal year. (b) The total amount of money in the fund may not exceed one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000). Any amount of money in the fund exceeding one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) on November 1 of a year reverts to the oil and gas fund established by IC 6-8-1-27. The fund must maintain a balance of at least five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) as a surety fund for operators who are not required to execute a bond under IC 14-37-6-1. Expenditures that would reduce the fund below five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) must be approved by the budget agency. (c) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same manner as other public money may be invested. Interest that accrues from these investments shall be deposited in the fund. (d) If the fund is abolished, all money in the fund is transferred to the state general fund. (e) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from money in the fund. However, the department may not expend more than five percent (5%) of the money in the fund for administering the fund each state fiscal year. [Pre-1995 Recodification Citation: 13-8-12-3.] As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.30. Amended by P.L.48-2002, SEC.6.

IC 14-37-10-5 Appropriations; emergency expenditures Sec. 5. (a) Money paid into the fund shall be appropriated for the following purposes: (1) To supplement the cost required to abandon a well that has had a permit revoked under IC 14-37-13-1. (2) To cover the costs of remedial plugging and repairing of wells under IC 14-37-8, including the expenses of remedial action under IC 14-37-8-15. (3) To cover the cost to: (A) mitigate environmental damage; or (B) protect public safety against harm; caused by a well regulated under this article. (4) Pipeline safety. (b) The director may make expenditures from the fund for emergency purposes under section 6 of this chapter without the prior approval of the budget agency or the governor. An expenditure under this subsection may not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). (c) The director may establish a program to reimburse an applicant for the reasonable expenses of remedial action incurred under IC 14-37-8-15. The director may make expenditures from the fund for this purpose and may establish any necessary guidelines and procedures to administer the program. [Pre-1995 Recodification Citation: 13-8-12-4.] As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.30. Amended by P.L.236-2001, SEC.4; P.L.150-2011, SEC.17.