DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state Senate is poised to vote on a bill that would eliminate the $100,000 business license fee for firms engaged in crude oil lightering.
Lightering involves transferring crude oil from big tankers to smaller vessels. The process allows the heavy tankers to sit higher in the water, allowing them to navigate shipping channels without the risk of dragging the bottom while delivering their cargo to refineries like the one in Delaware City.
Currently, only one company is engaged in lightering in the Delaware Bay and subject to the fee. The legislature imposed the $100,000 fee in 2009 as a way to generate revenue during tough economic times.
The state House voted unanimously two weeks ago to eliminate the fee, and the Senate was to consider the measure on Thursday.
