(a) Requirements.--Every owner of an underground storage tank, except as specifically excluded by policy or regulation of the department, shall register with the department each underground storage tank by completing and submitting the form provided by the department and by paying the registration fee prescribed by the department for each underground storage tank within three months of the effective date of this act. Volunteer fire companies and volunteer emergency medical services organizations which own underground storage tanks shall register each underground storage tank with the department, but shall not be required to pay the registration fee. It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator to operate or use, in any way, any underground storage tank that has not been registered as required by this section.

(b) Prohibitions.--After 12 months from the effective date of this act, it shall be unlawful to sell, distribute, deposit or fill an underground storage tank with any regulated substance unless the underground storage tank is registered as required by this section. Any person who, on or after the effective date of this subsection, knowingly sells, distributes, deposits or fills any underground storage tank in violation of this subsection prior to the discovery of a release shall be liable for any release from the underground storage tank, in addition to the remedies provided in section 1302.¹ It shall be a defense to an enforcement action under this subsection regarding delivery to an unregistered tank that the tank in question had been registered in a prior year. Within 12 months of the effective date of this act, the department shall have available for the general public an easily distinguishable visual system, such as a sticker, to identify tanks with a current sticker as part of enforcement by the department.

(c) Use of registration fees.--Registration fees collected by the department shall be used to fund the development and operation of the storage tank programs established by this act.