July 17, 2007

The Department of Environmental Quality today announced the initiation of the second round of the Refined Petroleum Fund Temporary Reimbursement Program. The TRP, created by legislation signed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm on July 20, 2006, provides a total of $45 million for underground storage tank owners and operators who had approved claims under the former Michigan Underground Storage Tank Financial Assurance Program and meet specific eligibility requirements.

The application period for the first round ended on April 30, 2007, and based on the number of approved applications, funding remains available for a second round. The DEQ will begin accepting pre-certification applications for the second round on July 30, 2007, and will continue to accept applications through August 29, 2007. Eligible persons can receive reimbursement of 80 percent of each approved work invoice, up to a maximum amount of $50,000 per approved site. Applicants who were approved for a given site in the first round cannot reapply for the same site.

Details on the program are available online at www.michigan.gov/deqrrd; click on the Temporary Reimbursement Program link to learn about program eligibility requirements, access forms and guidance, or to subscribe to the DEQ's Remediation and Redevelopment Division electronic mailing list for future program updates. For more information on the pre-certification application process, contact Mr. Robert Reisner, Funding and Support Unit, at 517-335-6843, or reisnerr@michigan.gov.

 Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised July 17, 2007 by Pat Watson