§ 179-a. New York environmental protection and spill remediation account. 1. There is hereby created an account within the miscellaneous capital projects fund, the New York environmental protection and spill remediation account. The New York environmental protection and spill remediation account shall consist of license fees received by the state pursuant to section one hundred seventy-four of this article, in an amount equal to expenditures made from this account.

2. These moneys, after appropriation by the legislature, and within the amounts set forth and for the several purposes specified, shall be available to reimburse the department of environmental conservation for expenditures associated with the purposes of costs incurred under this article, including cleanup and removal of petroleum spills, and other capital, investigation, maintenance and remediation costs.

3. All payments made from the New York environmental protection and spill remediation account shall be made by the administrator upon certification by the commissioner.

4. Spending pursuant to this section shall be included in the annual report required by section one hundred ninety-six of this article.