(415 ILCS 5/25c-1) Sec. 25c-1. Oil Spill Response Fund. (a) There is hereby created within the State treasury an interest-bearing special fund to be known as the Oil Spill Response Fund. There shall be deposited into the Fund all monies recovered as reimbursement for response costs incurred by the Agency from parties responsible for releases or threats of release of petroleum, monies provided to the State from the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, and such other monies as may be received for this purpose through contributions, gifts, or supplemental environmental projects, pursuant to court orders or decrees, or from any other source. (b) Pursuant to appropriation, all monies in the Oil Spill Response Fund may be used by the Agency for all of the following purposes: (1) Responding to releases or threats of release of

petroleum that may constitute a substantial danger to the environment or human health or welfare.

(2) Contractual expenses and purchases of equipment

or supplies necessary to enable prompt response to releases or threats of release of petroleum and to provide effective mitigation of such releases or threats of release.

(3) Costs of investigation and assessment of the

source, nature, and extent of a release or threatened release of petroleum and any resulting injuries or damages.

(4) Costs associated with planning and training for

response to releases and threats of release of petroleum.

(5) Costs associated with preparing and submitting

claims of the Agency to the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

(c) For the purposes of implementing this Section, "petroleum" means crude oil, refined petroleum, intermediates, fractions or constituents of petroleum, brine or salt water from oil production, oil sheens, hydrocarbon vapors, and any other form of oil or petroleum. (d) In addition to any other authority provided by State or federal law, the Agency shall be entitled to recovery of costs incurred by it in response to releases and threats of release of petroleum from any persons who are responsible for causing, allowing, or threatening such releases. (Source: P.A. 93-152, eff. 7-10-03.)