State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Tennessee > Title-68 > Chapter-215 > Part-1 > 68-215-109

68-215-109. Annual fees Failure to pay.

(a)  The board shall levy and collect annual fees from the owners or operators of petroleum underground storage tanks containing petroleum substances. Subject to the provisions of this section, the board is authorized to promulgate rules establishing the following:

     (1)  Which petroleum underground storage tanks are subject to annual fees;

     (2)  The amount or amounts of such fees, the fee due date, and the basis on which such fees are assessed; and

     (3)  A system of incentives to provide for reduced annual tank fees, in order to encourage tank owners to use technologies or management practices that go beyond the minimum requirements related to release detection and prevention for tanks and piping. Such technologies or practices must be found by the board to be proven methods of significantly enhancing prevention of releases or reducing the detection time frame for releases.

(b)  (1)  The annual fee shall be:

          (A)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks;

          (B)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks.

     (2)  Pursuant to subsection (a), the board may promulgate rules raising these tank fees up to a maximum level of three hundred dollars ($300) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized tanks and three hundred dollars ($300) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized tanks. In addition, the board is authorized to promulgate rules lowering these tank fees if the board determines that the condition of the fund warrants it.

(c)  The tank fees authorized in this section shall be paid by or on behalf of the petroleum underground storage tank owner or operator. All notices related to such fees that are sent to the tank owner or operator shall also be sent simultaneously to any owner of an interest in the petroleum site on which the tanks are located who has maintained a registration for the tanks pursuant to § 68-215-130.

(d)  Upon failure or refusal of any person to pay a fee assessed under this part within a reasonable time allowed by the commissioner, the commissioner may proceed in the chancery court of Davidson County to obtain judgment and seek execution of such judgment.

(e)  If a lawfully levied fee or any part of that fee is not paid by its due date, there shall be assessed against the tank owner or operator a penalty of five percent (5%) of the amount due, which shall accrue on the first day of the delinquency and be added thereto. Thereafter, on the last day of each month during which any part of any fee or any prior accrued penalty remains unpaid, an additional five percent (5%) of the then unpaid balance shall accrue and be added thereto; however, the total of the penalties and interest that accrue pursuant to this section shall not exceed three (3) times the amount of the original fee. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the issuance of a commissioner's order for the payment of a fee or a late payment penalty.

(f)  [Deleted by 2008 amendment.]

(g)  The tank owner or operator may file with the commissioner a written petition requesting a reduction in the penalties assessed under this section, setting forth in the petition the grounds and reasons for such a request. At the commissioner's sole discretion, the commissioner may reduce the penalties that otherwise accrue pursuant to this section if, in the commissioner's opinion, the failure to pay fees was due to inadvertent error or excusable neglect; however, in no event shall the penalties be reduced to an amount less than ten percent (10%) per annum, plus statutory interest.

[Acts 1988, ch. 984, § 11; 1990, ch. 1012, § 8; T.C.A., § 68-53-109; Acts 2002, ch. 821, §§ 2-4; 2004, ch. 925, §§ 5, 6; 2005, ch. 283, §§ 2, 3; 2007, ch. 362, § 35; 2008, ch. 794, § 6.]  

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Tennessee > Title-68 > Chapter-215 > Part-1 > 68-215-109

68-215-109. Annual fees Failure to pay.

(a)  The board shall levy and collect annual fees from the owners or operators of petroleum underground storage tanks containing petroleum substances. Subject to the provisions of this section, the board is authorized to promulgate rules establishing the following:

     (1)  Which petroleum underground storage tanks are subject to annual fees;

     (2)  The amount or amounts of such fees, the fee due date, and the basis on which such fees are assessed; and

     (3)  A system of incentives to provide for reduced annual tank fees, in order to encourage tank owners to use technologies or management practices that go beyond the minimum requirements related to release detection and prevention for tanks and piping. Such technologies or practices must be found by the board to be proven methods of significantly enhancing prevention of releases or reducing the detection time frame for releases.

(b)  (1)  The annual fee shall be:

          (A)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks;

          (B)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks.

     (2)  Pursuant to subsection (a), the board may promulgate rules raising these tank fees up to a maximum level of three hundred dollars ($300) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized tanks and three hundred dollars ($300) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized tanks. In addition, the board is authorized to promulgate rules lowering these tank fees if the board determines that the condition of the fund warrants it.

(c)  The tank fees authorized in this section shall be paid by or on behalf of the petroleum underground storage tank owner or operator. All notices related to such fees that are sent to the tank owner or operator shall also be sent simultaneously to any owner of an interest in the petroleum site on which the tanks are located who has maintained a registration for the tanks pursuant to § 68-215-130.

(d)  Upon failure or refusal of any person to pay a fee assessed under this part within a reasonable time allowed by the commissioner, the commissioner may proceed in the chancery court of Davidson County to obtain judgment and seek execution of such judgment.

(e)  If a lawfully levied fee or any part of that fee is not paid by its due date, there shall be assessed against the tank owner or operator a penalty of five percent (5%) of the amount due, which shall accrue on the first day of the delinquency and be added thereto. Thereafter, on the last day of each month during which any part of any fee or any prior accrued penalty remains unpaid, an additional five percent (5%) of the then unpaid balance shall accrue and be added thereto; however, the total of the penalties and interest that accrue pursuant to this section shall not exceed three (3) times the amount of the original fee. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the issuance of a commissioner's order for the payment of a fee or a late payment penalty.

(f)  [Deleted by 2008 amendment.]

(g)  The tank owner or operator may file with the commissioner a written petition requesting a reduction in the penalties assessed under this section, setting forth in the petition the grounds and reasons for such a request. At the commissioner's sole discretion, the commissioner may reduce the penalties that otherwise accrue pursuant to this section if, in the commissioner's opinion, the failure to pay fees was due to inadvertent error or excusable neglect; however, in no event shall the penalties be reduced to an amount less than ten percent (10%) per annum, plus statutory interest.

[Acts 1988, ch. 984, § 11; 1990, ch. 1012, § 8; T.C.A., § 68-53-109; Acts 2002, ch. 821, §§ 2-4; 2004, ch. 925, §§ 5, 6; 2005, ch. 283, §§ 2, 3; 2007, ch. 362, § 35; 2008, ch. 794, § 6.]  


State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Tennessee > Title-68 > Chapter-215 > Part-1 > 68-215-109

68-215-109. Annual fees Failure to pay.

(a)  The board shall levy and collect annual fees from the owners or operators of petroleum underground storage tanks containing petroleum substances. Subject to the provisions of this section, the board is authorized to promulgate rules establishing the following:

     (1)  Which petroleum underground storage tanks are subject to annual fees;

     (2)  The amount or amounts of such fees, the fee due date, and the basis on which such fees are assessed; and

     (3)  A system of incentives to provide for reduced annual tank fees, in order to encourage tank owners to use technologies or management practices that go beyond the minimum requirements related to release detection and prevention for tanks and piping. Such technologies or practices must be found by the board to be proven methods of significantly enhancing prevention of releases or reducing the detection time frame for releases.

(b)  (1)  The annual fee shall be:

          (A)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks;

          (B)  Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized petroleum underground storage tanks.

     (2)  Pursuant to subsection (a), the board may promulgate rules raising these tank fees up to a maximum level of three hundred dollars ($300) per tank per year for noncompartmentalized tanks and three hundred dollars ($300) per tank compartment per year for compartmentalized tanks. In addition, the board is authorized to promulgate rules lowering these tank fees if the board determines that the condition of the fund warrants it.

(c)  The tank fees authorized in this section shall be paid by or on behalf of the petroleum underground storage tank owner or operator. All notices related to such fees that are sent to the tank owner or operator shall also be sent simultaneously to any owner of an interest in the petroleum site on which the tanks are located who has maintained a registration for the tanks pursuant to § 68-215-130.

(d)  Upon failure or refusal of any person to pay a fee assessed under this part within a reasonable time allowed by the commissioner, the commissioner may proceed in the chancery court of Davidson County to obtain judgment and seek execution of such judgment.

(e)  If a lawfully levied fee or any part of that fee is not paid by its due date, there shall be assessed against the tank owner or operator a penalty of five percent (5%) of the amount due, which shall accrue on the first day of the delinquency and be added thereto. Thereafter, on the last day of each month during which any part of any fee or any prior accrued penalty remains unpaid, an additional five percent (5%) of the then unpaid balance shall accrue and be added thereto; however, the total of the penalties and interest that accrue pursuant to this section shall not exceed three (3) times the amount of the original fee. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the issuance of a commissioner's order for the payment of a fee or a late payment penalty.

(f)  [Deleted by 2008 amendment.]

(g)  The tank owner or operator may file with the commissioner a written petition requesting a reduction in the penalties assessed under this section, setting forth in the petition the grounds and reasons for such a request. At the commissioner's sole discretion, the commissioner may reduce the penalties that otherwise accrue pursuant to this section if, in the commissioner's opinion, the failure to pay fees was due to inadvertent error or excusable neglect; however, in no event shall the penalties be reduced to an amount less than ten percent (10%) per annum, plus statutory interest.

[Acts 1988, ch. 984, § 11; 1990, ch. 1012, § 8; T.C.A., § 68-53-109; Acts 2002, ch. 821, §§ 2-4; 2004, ch. 925, §§ 5, 6; 2005, ch. 283, §§ 2, 3; 2007, ch. 362, § 35; 2008, ch. 794, § 6.]