A bill, HB 1072, that would use some money for cleaning up gas leaks for upgrades at the state’s airports passed the state House on Tuesday.
Taxpayers, gas station owners and airports all pay into the Excess Liability Trust Fund — or ELTF. It’s a kind of insurance that goes to help clean up underground fuel tanks when they leak.
The bill would put the amount airports pay into a separate fund that could be used for above-ground tank cleanups as well. Anything leftover at the end of the fiscal year would go to infrastructure improvements at Indiana’s airports.
READ MORE: Lawmakers want to use fund for gasoline leak cleanups to improve Indiana airports
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Airports and their advocates have said it would help smaller airports fund these projects — many of which often aren’t eligible for state and federal grants.
But the Indiana Department of Environmental Management said paying for airport upgrades goes against the intent of the fund and could ultimately mean less money for environmental cleanups.
Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.