Bill Text: CA SB691 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Nonvehicular air pollution control: penalties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-09-12 - Ordered to inactive file on request of Assembly Member Skinner. [SB691 Detail]
Download: California-2013-SB691-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 691 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 5, 2013
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 24, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock
(Principal coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier, Hill, and Leno)
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Skinner)
(Coauthor: Senator Lara)
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to amend Sections 42400.7, 42402, 42402.1, 42402.2,
42402.3, and 42403 of, and to add Section 42402.6 to, the Health and
Safety Code, relating to nonvehicular air pollution.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 691, as amended, Hancock. Nonvehicular air pollution control:
penalties.
Existing law, commencing January 1, 2014, prohibits a person from
discharging from nonvehicular sources air contaminants or other
materials that cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to the
public, or that endanger the comfort, repose, health, or safety of
the public, or that cause injury or damage to business or property,
as specified. Under existing law, a person who violates this
provision is guilty of a misdemeanor, as specified, or is liable for
a civil penalty of not more than $10,000, unless that person alleges
by affirmative defense and establishes that the act was not the
result of intentional or negligent conduct, in which case that person
is liable for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000. A person who
violates this provision and who acts negligently, knowingly,
willfully and intentionally, or with reckless disregard, is liable
for a civil penalty in a greater amount, as specified.
This bill would make a person who violates this provision liable
for a civil penalty of not more than $100,000, as specified, if the
violation results from a discharge from a stationary source required
by federal law to be included in an operating permit program
established pursuant to Title V of the federal Clean Air and
Act, the discharge results in a severe disruption to
the community, the discharge contains or includes one or more
toxic air contaminants, as specified , and 100 or more people
are exposed to the discharge . The bill would prohibit
this provision from applying if the violation is caused by
unforeseen and unforeseeable criminal acts, acts of war, acts of
terrorism, or civil unrest. The bill would require moneys collected
pursuant to this provision to be expended in support of air quality
programs. The bill would require that the recovery of a civil
penalty under these provisions precludes prosecution of a misdemeanor
for the same offense.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 42400.7 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:
42400.7. (a) The recovery of civil penalties pursuant to Section
39674, 42401, 42402, 42402.1, 42402.2, 42402.3, 42402.4, or 42402.6
precludes prosecution under Section 42400, 42400.1, 42400.2, 42400.3,
42400.3.5, or 42400.4 for the same offense. When a district refers a
violation to a prosecuting agency, the filing of a criminal
complaint is grounds requiring the dismissal of any civil action
brought pursuant to this article for the same offense.
(b) If the pending civil action described in subdivision (a)
includes a request for injunctive relief, that portion of the civil
action shall not be dismissed upon the filing of a criminal complaint
for the same offense.
SEC. 2. Section 42402 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
42402. (a) Except as provided in Sections 42402.1, 42402.2,
42402.3, 42402.4, and 42402.6 a person who violates this part, an
order issued pursuant to Section 42316, or a rule, regulation,
permit, or order of a district, including a district hearing board,
or of the state board issued pursuant to Part 1 (commencing with
Section 39000) to Part 4 (commencing with Section 41500), inclusive,
is strictly liable for a civil penalty of not more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000).
(b) (1) A person who violates this part, an order issued pursuant
to Section 42316, or a rule, regulation, permit or order of a
district, including a district hearing board, or of the state board
issued pursuant to Part 1 (commencing with Section 39000) to Part 4
(commencing with Section 41500), inclusive, is strictly liable for a
civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(2) (A) If a civil penalty in excess of one thousand dollars
($1,000) for each day in which a violation occurs is sought, there is
no liability under this subdivision if the person accused of the
violation alleges by affirmative defense and establishes that the
violation was caused by an act that was not the result of intentional
nor negligent conduct.
(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a violation of federally
enforceable requirements that occur at a Title V source in a district
in which a Title V permit program has been fully approved.
(C) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to a person who is determined
to have violated an annual facility emissions cap established
pursuant to a market based incentive program adopted by a district
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 39616.
(c) A person who owns or operates a source of air contaminants in
violation of Section 41700 that causes actual injury, as defined in
subdivision (d) of Section 42400, to the health and safety of a
considerable number of persons or the public, is liable for a civil
penalty of not more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
(d) Each day during any portion of which a violation occurs is a
separate offense.
SEC. 3. Section 42402.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
42402.1. (a) Except as provided in Section 42402.6, a person who
negligently emits an air contaminant in violation of this part or a
rule, regulation, permit, or order of the state board or of a
district, including a district hearing board, pertaining to emission
regulations or limitations is liable for a civil penalty of not more
than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).
(b) A person who negligently emits an air contaminant in violation
of Section 41700 that causes great bodily injury, as defined by
Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, to a person or that causes the
death of a person, is liable for a civil penalty of not more than one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
(c) Each day during a portion of which a violation occurs is a
separate offense.
SEC. 4. Section 42402.2 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
42402.2. (a) Except as provided in Section 42402.6, a person who
emits an air contaminant in violation of a provision of this part, or
an order, rule, regulation, or permit of the state board or of a
district, including a district hearing board, pertaining to emission
regulations or limitations, and who knew of the emission and failed
to take corrective action, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section
42400.2, within a reasonable period of time under the circumstances,
is liable for a civil penalty of not more than forty thousand dollars
($40,000).
(b) A person who owns or operates a source of air contaminants in
violation of Section 41700 that causes great bodily injury, as
defined by Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, to a person or that
causes the death of a person, and who knew of the emission and failed
to take corrective action, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section
42400.2, within a reasonable period of time under the circumstances,
is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed two hundred fifty
thousand dollars ($250,000).
(c) Each day during a portion of which a violation occurs is a
separate offense.
SEC. 5. Section 42402.3 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
42402.3. (a) Except as provided in Section 42402.6, a person who
willfully and intentionally emits an air contaminant in violation of
this part or a rule, regulation, permit, or order of the state board,
or of a district, including a district hearing board, pertaining to
emission regulations or limitations, is liable for a civil penalty of
not more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000).
(b) A person who willfully and intentionally, or with reckless
disregard for the risk of great bodily injury, as defined by Section
12022.7 of the Penal Code, to, or death of, a person, emits an air
contaminant in violation of Section 41700 that results in an
unreasonable risk of great bodily injury to, or death of, a person,
is liable for a civil penalty of not more than one hundred
twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000). If the violator is a
corporation, the maximum penalty may be up to five hundred thousand
dollars ($500,000).
(c) A person who willfully and intentionally, or with reckless
disregard for the risk of great bodily injury, as defined by Section
12022.7 of the Penal Code, to, or death of, a person, emits an air
contaminant in violation of Section 41700 that causes great bodily
injury, as defined by Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, to a person
or that causes the death of a person, is liable for a civil penalty
of not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000). If
the violator is a corporation, the maximum penalty may be up to one
million dollars ($1,000,000).
(d) Each day during a portion of which a violation occurs is a
separate offense.
SEC. 6. Section 42402.6 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
42402.6. (a) If a person violates Section 41700, the violation
results from a discharge from a Title V source, and the discharge
contains or includes one or more toxic air contaminants, as
identified in Section 39657, the person is liable for a civil penalty
of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). This
subdivision does not apply to air contaminant releases that are only
nuisance odors.
42402.6. (a) (1) A person is liable for a civil
penalty of not more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) if
the person violates Section 41700 and all of the following occur:
(A) The discharge is from a Title V source.
(B) The discharge results in a severe disruption to the community,
including, but not limited to, residential displacement, shelter in
place, evacuation, or destruction of property.
(C) The discharge contains or includes one or more toxic air
contaminants, as identified in Section 39657.
(D) One hundred or more people are exposed to the discharge.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to air contaminant releases
that are only nuisance odors.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 42402.2 or
subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 42402.3, a civil penalty described
in subdivision (a) shall apply on the initial date of a violation.
(c) If a violation of subdivision (a) continues to occur
subsequent to the initial date of the violation, the civil penalty
described in Section 42402, 42402.1, 42402.2, or 42402.3 shall apply
to those subsequent days.
(d) The civil penalty described in paragraph (1) of subdivision
(a) shall not apply if the violation is caused by unforeseen and
unforeseeable criminal acts, acts of war, acts of terrorism, or civil
unrest.
(e) Moneys collected pursuant to this section shall be expended in
support of air quality programs, including, but not limited to,
programs to research or mitigate the effects of air pollution.
SEC. 7. Section 42403 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
42403. (a) The civil penalties prescribed in Sections 39674,
42401, 42402, 42402.1, 42402.2, 42402.3, and 42402.6 shall be
assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the
people of the State of California by the Attorney General, by a
district attorney, or by the attorney for the district in which the
violation occurs in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(b) In determining the amount assessed, the court, or in reaching
a settlement, the district, shall take into consideration all
relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) The extent of harm caused by the violation.
(2) The nature and persistence of the violation.
(3) The length of time over which the violation occurs.
(4) The frequency of past violations.
(5) The record of maintenance.
(6) The unproven or innovative nature of the control equipment.
(7) An action taken by the defendant, including the nature,
extent, and time of response of the cleanup and construction
undertaken, to mitigate the violation.
(8) The financial burden to the defendant.
