Sec. 32911.

(1) The Great Lakes spill prevention research fund is created in the state treasury.

(2) The research fund may receive money as appropriated by the legislature, from gifts and contributions to the fund, and as otherwise provided by law. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the research fund. Interest and earnings of the research fund shall be credited to the research fund. Money in the research fund at the close of the fiscal year shall remain in the research fund and shall not revert to the general fund.

(3) Money in the research fund shall be used only for the following purposes:

(a) Research into the prevention of spills during the transportation of hazardous materials on the Great Lakes and major tributaries of the Great Lakes.

(b) Research on selected pollution incidents to determine causal factors in spills of hazardous materials on the Great Lakes and major tributaries of the Great Lakes.

(c) Research into a total systems approach to address Great Lakes pollution problems that include human factors and socio-technical considerations.

(d) Research into the role of human factors in spills of hazardous materials on the Great Lakes and major tributaries of the Great Lakes, including human factors in pollution alarms, pollution monitoring systems, and instrumentation.

(e) Research into the deployment of existing and new technology related to transportation of hazardous materials on the Great Lakes and major tributaries of the Great Lakes and the appropriate allocation of functions between individuals and machines.

(f) Research to determine the relative contribution of spills of hazardous materials into the Great Lakes and major tributaries of the Great Lakes to the total pollution of the Great Lakes basin.

(g) Research on and modeling of spills to determine their effect on water intakes.

(4) As used in this section:

(a) “Great Lakes” means the Great Lakes and their connecting waterways over which the state has jurisdiction.

(b) “Hazardous material” means a chemical or other material which is or may become injurious to the public health, safety, or welfare, or to the environment.

(c) “Major tributary of the Great Lakes” means a river that flows into the Great Lakes that has a drainage area in excess of 700 square miles or has a drainage area that contains a population of 1,000,000 or more individuals.

(d) “Research fund” means the Great Lakes spill prevention research fund created in subsection (1).

(e) “Spill” means any leaking, pumping, pouring, emptying, emitting, discharging, escaping, leaching, or disposing of a hazardous material in a quantity which is or may become injurious to the public health, safety, or welfare or to the environment.

History: Add. 1995, Act 59, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA