The commission may use the Texas spill response account only for spill response and cleanup-related purposes, and the state can recover certain spill cleanup costs from responsible persons.
Sec. 26.265. TEXAS SPILL RESPONSE ACCOUNT. (a) The Texas spill response account is an account in the general revenue fund. This account shall not exceed $5 million, exclusive of fines and penalties received under this subchapter. (b) The account shall consist of money appropriated to it by the legislature and any fines, civil penalties, or other reimbursement to the account provided for under this subchapter. (c) The commission may expend money in the account only for the purposes of: (1) response to and investigation of spills and discharges; (2) obtaining personnel, equipment, and supplies required in the cleanup of discharges and spills; and (3) the assessment of damages to and the restoration of land and aquatic resources held in trust or owned by the state. (d) In addition to any cause of action under Chapter 40, Natural Resources Code, the state has a cause of action against any responsible person for recovery of: (1) expenditures out of the account; and (2) costs that would have been incurred or paid by the responsible person if the responsible person had fully carried out the duties under Section 26.266 of this code, including: (A) reasonable costs of reasonable and necessary scientific studies to determine impacts of the spill on the environment and natural resources and to determine the manner in which to respond to spill impacts; (B) costs of attorney services; (C) out-of-pocket costs associated with state agency action; (D) reasonable costs incurred by the state in cleanup operations, including costs of personnel, equipment, and supplies and restoration of land and aquatic resources held in trust or owned by the state; and (E) costs of remediating injuries proximately caused by reasonable cleanup activities. (e) The state's right to recover under Subsection (d) of this section arises whether or not expenditures have actually been made out of the account. (f) It is the intent of the legislature that the state attempt to recover the costs of cleanup according to the following priority: (1) a responsible person; and (2) the federal government to the extent that recovery from a responsible person is insufficient to pay the costs of cleanup. (g) In a suit brought under Subsection (d) of this section, any responsible person who, after reasonable notice has been given by the executive director, has failed, after a reasonable period, to carry out his duties under Section 26.266 of this code is liable to the state for twice the costs incurred by the state under this subchapter in cleaning up the spill or discharge. Reasonable notice under this subsection must include a statement as to the basis for finding the person to whom notice is sent to be a responsible person. Any responsible person held liable under this subsection or Subsection (d) of this section has the right to recover indemnity or contribution from any third party who caused, suffered, allowed, or permitted the spill or discharge. Liability arising under this subsection or Subsection (d) of this section does not affect any rights the responsible person has against a third party whose acts caused or contributed to the spill or discharge. (h) Notwithstanding Subsection (g), a responsible person who enters into a settlement agreement with the state that resolves all liability of the person to the state for a site subject to Subchapter F, Chapter 361, Health and Safety Code, is released from liability to a person described by Section 361.344(a), Health and Safety Code, for contribution or indemnity under this code regarding a matter addressed in the settlement agreement. (i) A settlement agreement does not discharge the liability of a nonsettling person to the state unless the agreement provides otherwise. (j) Notwithstanding Subsection (i), a settlement agreement reduces the potential liability to the state of the nonsettling persons by the amount of the settlement. Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2207, ch. 870, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4204, ch. 669, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 1.108, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 930, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 99, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 10, Sec. 9, eff. March 28, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 746, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 30, 1993; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 333, Sec. 14, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 793, Sec. 19, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.