OIL SPILL LIABILITY RAISED:

Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey has signed legislation increasing liability limits for owners and operators of vessels that discharge hazardous substances into state waterways. The move came nearly a year after an oil tanker leaked hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Delaware River. The legislation raises the liability for vessel owners and operators from $150 to $1,200 per gross ton for each offending vessel, up to a maximum charge of $50 million. State law requires company payment, regardless of the cause of the spill. Codey said it would force shipping companies to take more environmental protections.