California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2017-18
FUND: UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK CLEANUP FUND
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK CLEANUP FUND REIMBURSEMENTS
MESSAGE:
In FY 2017-18, the USTCF closed 395 claims and reimbursed approximately $114 million, eliminating the payment backlog.
FUNDS REIMBURSED
PAYMENT CLAIMS PROCESSED
| KEY STATISTICS FOR FY 2017-18 | |
| Reimbursements: | $114,201,457 |
| Active Number of Claims: | 2,482 |
MEASUREMENTS - Data last updated on: 11-01-2018 (2:32 pm)
| Priority Claims | Total Claims Deemed Eligible | Claims Closed Before FY 17-18 |
Active Number of Claims | Claims Awaiting Activation | Claims Closed in FY 17-18 | Reimburse- ments in FY 17-18 | Payments Backlog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority A | 524 | 484 | 39 | 1 | 10 | $1,084,328 | $0 |
| Priority B | 5,283 | 4,430 | 865 | 5 | 132 | $33,582,719 | $0 |
| Priority C | 4,192 | 3,663 | 522 | 7 | 94 | $23,596,529 | $0 |
| Priority D | 6,212 | 1,778 | 1,056 | 2,715 | 159 | $55,937,881 | $0 |
| TOTAL | 16,211 | 10,355 | 2,482 | 2,728 | 395 | $114,201,457 | $0 |
WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING
Approximately 16,000 applications filed with the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Cleanup Fund (USTCF) have been deemed eligible for the program. There are currently 2,482 claims actively being reimbursed by the USTCF, with another 2,728 claims on the Priority List waiting to begin submitting requests for reimbursement. The claims on the Priority List are of the lowest priority and are generally large corporations. In past years, the program did not have adequate funding to activate many lower priority claims from the Priority List. However, due to changing conditions, the USTCF is increasing the number of active claims because there is funding to support reimbursement of these claims’ costs. Considering this change, the program expects to significantly reduce the number of claims on the Priority List in future years. In FY 2017-18, the USTCF reimbursed approximately $114 million to claims. However, as the program activates the lower priority claims from the Priority List, the Fund expects the number of reimbursement requests to increase and the reimbursement amount to increase accordingly.
WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT
The USTCF provides financial assistance to eligible owners and operators for cleanup of soil and groundwater contamination caused by leaking petroleum USTs. Leaking petroleum USTs are a significant source of impacts to groundwater and may pose potential threats to health and safety, such as exposure from impacts to soil and or groundwater, contamination of drinking water aquifers, contamination of public or private drinking water wells, and inhalation of vapors. While many UST site cleanups may be low risk, progress to cleanup is lagging for various reasons. By reducing the payment backlog, the Fund has eliminated one of the barriers to cleanup progress. The program continues to focus on assisting with efforts to move UST site cleanups toward closure using the most cost-effective method. This effort allows additional funding to be used to assist more owners and operators with their UST site cleanup efforts. Since its inception, the USTCF has paid in part or in full claims in excess of $3.5 billion.
*Year-end reports are currently unavailable. Figures are based on projected expenditures for the FY 2017-18.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Data Source: UST Cleanup Fund SCUFIIS Database.
- Unit of Measure: Number of claims and monetary amount expressed in current US dollars.
- Data Definitions: Definitions of Each Program For definitions on each funding category see pages 8-9 of the DWSRF Policy Handbook.
- References: Information About the USTCF Program
Public Performance Audit Report
Legislative Annual Reports
List of Active Claims
GLOSSARY
- Claimant
- An eligible owner or operator who files a claim against the USTCF. The assignee of a USTCF claim must demonstrate the priority and eligibility of the Assignee. See the UST Assignment of Claim Information & Guide. See the UST Assignment of Claim Information & Guide.
- Claim
- A submittal to the USTCF for reimbursement of costs incurred due to an occurrence.
