58:10-23.11g2. Owners, operators of vessels shall assure financial resources for cleanup costs, enforcement

The owners and operators of vessels shall establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility for the purpose of assuring adequate financial resources to pay for the cost of cleanup and removal of a discharged hazardous substance as a result of the transportation of a hazardous substance by vessel or a transfer of that hazardous substance between a refinery, storage, transfer, or pipeline facility and a vessel or between two vessels. Evidence of financial responsibility shall be established by a method set forth under s.108 of the "Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980" (42 U.S.C. s.9607) or s.1016 of the "Oil Pollution Act of 1990", any regulation adopted pursuant thereto, or any other federal law requiring evidence of financial responsibility to operate a vessel in the waters of the United States.

The evidence of financial responsibility required by this section shall be the only evidence required by the State that a vessel has the ability to meet the liabilities incurred for a violation of P.L.1976, c.141, but nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the liability of any person for a discharge of a hazardous substance for which the person is liable pursuant to P.L.1976, c.141 or under any other law or under common law. The State Police shall have the power to inspect any vessel and to require the display of evidence of financial responsibility in order to ensure compliance with this section. The State Police may deny entry to any vessel to any place in the State, or to the navigable waters under the jurisdiction of the State, or detain at the place, any vessel that, upon request, does not produce the evidence of financial responsibility required for that vessel pursuant to this section. Any vessel subject to the requirements of this section which is found in the navigable waters of the State without the necessary evidence of financial responsibility for the vessel shall be subject to seizure by and forfeiture to the State.

L.1991,c.58,s.2.