Bill Text: IL SB1357 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Enrolled
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the person complained against, when filing certain responses with the Environmental Protection Agency, to provide the proposed terms for a Compliance Commitment Agreement (CCA) rather than the proposed CCA. Requires the Agency to provide the proposed CCA or a notice that certain violations cannot be resolved without the involvement of the Office of the Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred (now, the party complained against provides the proposed CCA). Authorizes the Agency's proposed CCA to include a proposed administrative penalty of not more than $10,000. Requires the person complained against to accept or reject the proposed CCA within 30 days after receiving it. Provides that if the person complained against fails to respond to the proposed CCA within that time frame, then the proposed CCA is deemed rejected by operation of law. Authorizes written amendments to CCAs. Prohibits violations of CCAs. Grants the Agency certain rulemaking authority. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-08-23 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0519 [SB1357 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-SB1357-Enrolled.html
Bill Title: Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the person complained against, when filing certain responses with the Environmental Protection Agency, to provide the proposed terms for a Compliance Commitment Agreement (CCA) rather than the proposed CCA. Requires the Agency to provide the proposed CCA or a notice that certain violations cannot be resolved without the involvement of the Office of the Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred (now, the party complained against provides the proposed CCA). Authorizes the Agency's proposed CCA to include a proposed administrative penalty of not more than $10,000. Requires the person complained against to accept or reject the proposed CCA within 30 days after receiving it. Provides that if the person complained against fails to respond to the proposed CCA within that time frame, then the proposed CCA is deemed rejected by operation of law. Authorizes written amendments to CCAs. Prohibits violations of CCAs. Grants the Agency certain rulemaking authority. Makes technical changes. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-08-23 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0519 [SB1357 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-SB1357-Enrolled.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning safety.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by | ||||||
5 | changing Sections 31 and 42 as follows:
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6 | (415 ILCS 5/31) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1031)
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7 | Sec. 31. Notice; complaint; hearing.
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8 | (a)(1) Within 180 days after of becoming aware of an | ||||||
9 | alleged violation of the
Act , or any rule adopted under the | ||||||
10 | Act , or of a permit granted by the Agency , or
a condition | ||||||
11 | of such a the permit, the Agency shall issue and serve, by | ||||||
12 | certified mail,
upon the person complained against a | ||||||
13 | written notice informing that person that
the Agency has | ||||||
14 | evidence of the alleged violation. At a minimum, the | ||||||
15 | written
notice shall contain:
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16 | (A) a notification to the person complained | ||||||
17 | against of the requirement to
submit a written response | ||||||
18 | addressing the violations alleged and the option to
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19 | meet with appropriate agency personnel to resolve any | ||||||
20 | alleged violations that
could lead to the filing of a | ||||||
21 | formal complaint;
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22 | (B) a detailed explanation by the Agency of the | ||||||
23 | violations alleged;
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1 | (C) an explanation by the Agency of the actions | ||||||
2 | that the Agency
believes may resolve the alleged | ||||||
3 | violations, including an estimate of a
reasonable time | ||||||
4 | period for the person complained against to complete | ||||||
5 | the
suggested resolution; and
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6 | (D) an explanation of any alleged violation that | ||||||
7 | the Agency believes
cannot be resolved without the | ||||||
8 | involvement of the Office of the Illinois
Attorney | ||||||
9 | General or the State's Attorney of the county in which | ||||||
10 | the alleged
violation occurred and the basis for the | ||||||
11 | Agency's belief.
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12 | (2) A written response to the violations alleged shall | ||||||
13 | be submitted to
the Agency, by certified mail, within 45 | ||||||
14 | days after of receipt of notice by the
person complained | ||||||
15 | against, unless the Agency agrees to an extension. The
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16 | written response shall include:
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17 | (A) information in rebuttal, explanation or | ||||||
18 | justification of each
alleged violation;
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19 | (B) if the person complained against desires to | ||||||
20 | enter into a Compliance Commitment Agreement, proposed | ||||||
21 | terms for a proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement | ||||||
22 | that includes specified
times for achieving each | ||||||
23 | commitment and which may consist of a statement
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24 | indicating that the person complained against believes | ||||||
25 | that compliance has
been achieved; and
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26 | (C) a request for a meeting with appropriate Agency |
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1 | personnel if a
meeting is desired by the person | ||||||
2 | complained against.
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3 | (3) If the person complained against fails to respond | ||||||
4 | in accordance with
the requirements of subdivision (2) of | ||||||
5 | this subsection (a), the failure to
respond shall be | ||||||
6 | considered a waiver of the requirements of this subsection
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7 | (a) and nothing in this Section shall preclude the Agency | ||||||
8 | from proceeding
pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.
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9 | (4) A meeting requested pursuant to subdivision (2) of | ||||||
10 | this subsection
(a) shall be held without a representative | ||||||
11 | of the Office of the Illinois
Attorney General or the | ||||||
12 | State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged
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13 | violation occurred, within 60 days after of receipt of | ||||||
14 | notice by the person
complained against, unless the Agency | ||||||
15 | agrees to a postponement. At the
meeting, the Agency shall | ||||||
16 | provide an opportunity for the person complained
against to | ||||||
17 | respond to each alleged violation, suggested resolution, | ||||||
18 | and
suggested implementation time frame, and to suggest | ||||||
19 | alternate resolutions.
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20 | (5) If a meeting requested pursuant to subdivision (2) | ||||||
21 | of this subsection
(a) is held, the person complained | ||||||
22 | against shall, within 21 days following the
meeting or | ||||||
23 | within an extended time period as agreed to by the Agency, | ||||||
24 | submit
by certified mail to the Agency a written response | ||||||
25 | to the alleged violations.
The written response shall | ||||||
26 | include:
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1 | (A) additional information in rebuttal, | ||||||
2 | explanation , or justification
of each alleged | ||||||
3 | violation;
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4 | (B) if the person complained against desires to | ||||||
5 | enter into a Compliance Commitment Agreement, proposed | ||||||
6 | terms for a proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement | ||||||
7 | that includes specified
times for achieving each | ||||||
8 | commitment and which may consist of a statement
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9 | indicating that the person complained against believes | ||||||
10 | that compliance has
been achieved; and
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11 | (C) a statement indicating that, should the person | ||||||
12 | complained against
so wish, the person complained | ||||||
13 | against chooses to rely upon the initial written
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14 | response submitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this | ||||||
15 | subsection (a).
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16 | (6) If the person complained against fails to respond | ||||||
17 | in accordance with
the requirements of subdivision (5) of | ||||||
18 | this subsection (a), the failure to
respond shall be | ||||||
19 | considered a waiver of the requirements of this subsection | ||||||
20 | (a)
and nothing in this Section shall preclude the Agency | ||||||
21 | from proceeding pursuant
to subsection (b) of this Section.
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22 | (7) Within 30 days after of the Agency's receipt of a | ||||||
23 | written response submitted
by the person complained | ||||||
24 | against pursuant to subdivision (2) of this
subsection (a) , | ||||||
25 | if a meeting is not requested , or pursuant to subdivision | ||||||
26 | (5) of this
subsection (a) , if a meeting is held, or within |
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1 | a later time period as agreed
to by the Agency and the | ||||||
2 | person complained against, the Agency shall issue and
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3 | serve, by certified mail, upon the person complained | ||||||
4 | against (i) a written notice
informing the person of its | ||||||
5 | acceptance, rejection, or proposed modification to
the | ||||||
6 | proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement or (ii) a notice | ||||||
7 | that one or more violations cannot be resolved without the | ||||||
8 | involvement of the Office of the Attorney General or the | ||||||
9 | State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged | ||||||
10 | violation occurred and that no proposed Compliance | ||||||
11 | Commitment Agreement will be issued by the Agency for those | ||||||
12 | violations. The Agency shall include terms and conditions | ||||||
13 | in the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement that are, | ||||||
14 | in its discretion, necessary to bring the person complained | ||||||
15 | against into compliance with the Act, any rule adopted | ||||||
16 | under the Act, any permit granted by the Agency, or any | ||||||
17 | condition of such a permit. The Agency shall take into | ||||||
18 | consideration the proposed terms for the proposed | ||||||
19 | Compliance Commitment Agreement that were provided under | ||||||
20 | subdivision (a)(2)(B) or (a)(5)(B) of this Section by the | ||||||
21 | person complained against as contained within the written
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22 | response .
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23 | (7.5) Within 30 days after the receipt of the Agency's | ||||||
24 | proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement by the person | ||||||
25 | complained against, the person shall either (i) agree to | ||||||
26 | and sign the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement |
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1 | provided by the Agency and submit the signed Compliance | ||||||
2 | Commitment Agreement to the Agency by certified mail or | ||||||
3 | (ii) notify the Agency in writing by certified mail of the | ||||||
4 | person's rejection of the proposed Compliance Commitment | ||||||
5 | Agreement. If the person complained against fails to | ||||||
6 | respond to the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement | ||||||
7 | within 30 days as required under this paragraph, the | ||||||
8 | proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement is deemed | ||||||
9 | rejected by operation of law. Any Compliance Commitment | ||||||
10 | Agreement entered into under item (i) of this paragraph may | ||||||
11 | be amended subsequently in writing by mutual agreement | ||||||
12 | between the Agency and the signatory to the Compliance | ||||||
13 | Commitment Agreement, the signatory's legal | ||||||
14 | representative, or the signatory's agent. | ||||||
15 | (7.6) No person shall violate the terms or conditions | ||||||
16 | of a Compliance Commitment Agreement entered into under | ||||||
17 | subdivision (a)(7.5) of this Section. Successful | ||||||
18 | completion of a Compliance Commitment Agreement or an | ||||||
19 | amended Compliance Commitment Agreement shall be a factor | ||||||
20 | to be weighed, in favor of the person completing the | ||||||
21 | Agreement, by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General | ||||||
22 | in determining whether to file a complaint for the | ||||||
23 | violations that were the subject of the Agreement.
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24 | (8) Nothing in this subsection (a) is intended to | ||||||
25 | require the Agency to
enter into Compliance Commitment | ||||||
26 | Agreements for any alleged violation that the
Agency |
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1 | believes cannot be resolved without the involvement of the | ||||||
2 | Office of the
Attorney General or the State's Attorney of | ||||||
3 | the county in which the alleged
violation occurred, for, | ||||||
4 | among other purposes, the imposition of statutory
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5 | penalties.
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6 | (9) The Agency's failure to respond within 30 days to a | ||||||
7 | written response submitted
pursuant to subdivision (2) of | ||||||
8 | this subsection (a) , if a meeting is not
requested , or | ||||||
9 | pursuant to subdivision (5) of this subsection (a) , if a | ||||||
10 | meeting is held,
within 30 days, or within the time period | ||||||
11 | otherwise agreed to in writing by
the Agency and the person | ||||||
12 | complained against, shall be deemed an acceptance by
the | ||||||
13 | Agency of the proposed terms of the Compliance Commitment | ||||||
14 | Agreement for the violations
alleged in the written notice | ||||||
15 | issued under subdivision (1) of this subsection
(a) as | ||||||
16 | contained within the written response.
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17 | (10) If the person complained against complies with the | ||||||
18 | terms of a
Compliance
Commitment Agreement accepted | ||||||
19 | pursuant to this subsection (a), the Agency
shall not refer | ||||||
20 | the alleged violations which are the subject of the | ||||||
21 | Compliance
Commitment Agreement to the Office of the | ||||||
22 | Illinois Attorney General or the
State's Attorney of the | ||||||
23 | county in which the alleged violation occurred.
However, | ||||||
24 | nothing in this subsection is intended to preclude the | ||||||
25 | Agency from
continuing negotiations with the person | ||||||
26 | complained against or from proceeding
pursuant to the |
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1 | provisions of subsection (b) of this Section for alleged
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2 | violations that which remain the subject of disagreement | ||||||
3 | between the Agency and the
person complained against | ||||||
4 | following fulfillment of the requirements of this
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5 | subsection (a).
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6 | (11) Nothing in this subsection (a) is intended to | ||||||
7 | preclude the person
complained against from submitting to | ||||||
8 | the Agency, by certified mail, at any
time, notification | ||||||
9 | that the person complained against consents to waiver of
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10 | the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this | ||||||
11 | Section.
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12 | (12) The Agency shall have the authority to adopt rules | ||||||
13 | for the administration of subsection (a) of this Section. | ||||||
14 | The rules shall be adopted in accordance with the | ||||||
15 | provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. | ||||||
16 | (b) For alleged violations that remain the subject of | ||||||
17 | disagreement
between the Agency and the person complained | ||||||
18 | against following fulfillment of
the requirements of | ||||||
19 | subsection (a) of this Section, and for alleged violations of | ||||||
20 | the terms or conditions of a Compliance Commitment Agreement | ||||||
21 | entered into under subdivision (a)(7.5) of this Section as well | ||||||
22 | as the alleged violations that are the subject of the | ||||||
23 | Compliance Commitment Agreement, and as a precondition to
the | ||||||
24 | Agency's referral or request to the Office of the Illinois | ||||||
25 | Attorney General
or the State's Attorney of the county in which | ||||||
26 | the alleged violation occurred
for legal representation |
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1 | regarding an alleged violation that may be addressed
pursuant | ||||||
2 | to subsection (c) or (d) of this Section or pursuant to Section | ||||||
3 | 42 of
this Act, the Agency shall issue and serve, by certified | ||||||
4 | mail, upon the person
complained against a written notice | ||||||
5 | informing that person that the Agency
intends to pursue legal | ||||||
6 | action. Such notice shall notify the person
complained against | ||||||
7 | of the violations to be alleged and offer the person an
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8 | opportunity to meet with appropriate Agency personnel in an | ||||||
9 | effort to resolve
any alleged violations that could lead to the | ||||||
10 | filing of a formal complaint.
The meeting with Agency personnel | ||||||
11 | shall be held within 30 days after of receipt of
notice served | ||||||
12 | pursuant to this subsection upon the person complained against,
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13 | unless the Agency agrees to a postponement or the person | ||||||
14 | notifies the Agency
that he or she will not appear at a meeting | ||||||
15 | within the 30 - day time period.
Nothing in this subsection is | ||||||
16 | intended to preclude the Agency from following
the provisions | ||||||
17 | of subsection (c) or (d) of this Section or from requesting the
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18 | legal representation of the Office of the Illinois Attorney | ||||||
19 | General or the
State's Attorney of the county in which the | ||||||
20 | alleged violations occurred for
alleged violations which | ||||||
21 | remain the subject of disagreement between the Agency
and the | ||||||
22 | person complained against after the provisions of this | ||||||
23 | subsection are
fulfilled.
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24 | (c)(1) For alleged violations which remain the subject of | ||||||
25 | disagreement
between the Agency and the person complained | ||||||
26 | against following waiver , pursuant
to subdivision (10) of |
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1 | subsection (a) of this Section , or fulfillment of
the | ||||||
2 | requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, | ||||||
3 | the Office of the
Illinois Attorney General or the State's | ||||||
4 | Attorney of the county in which the
alleged violation | ||||||
5 | occurred shall issue and serve upon the person complained
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6 | against a written notice, together with a formal complaint, | ||||||
7 | which shall
specify the provision of the Act , or the rule , | ||||||
8 | or regulation , or permit , or term
or condition thereof | ||||||
9 | under which such person is said to be in violation , and
a | ||||||
10 | statement of the manner in , and the extent to which such | ||||||
11 | person is said to
violate the Act , or such rule , or | ||||||
12 | regulation , or permit , or term or condition
thereof and | ||||||
13 | shall require the person so complained
against to answer | ||||||
14 | the charges of such formal complaint at a hearing before
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15 | the Board at a time not less than 21 days after the date of | ||||||
16 | notice by the
Board, except as provided in Section 34 of | ||||||
17 | this Act. Such complaint shall
be accompanied by a | ||||||
18 | notification to the defendant that financing may be
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19 | available, through the Illinois Environmental Facilities | ||||||
20 | Financing Act, to
correct such violation. A copy of such | ||||||
21 | notice of such
hearings shall also be sent to any person | ||||||
22 | that has complained to the
Agency respecting the respondent | ||||||
23 | within the six months preceding the
date of the complaint, | ||||||
24 | and to any person in the county in which the
offending | ||||||
25 | activity occurred that has requested notice of enforcement
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26 | proceedings; 21 days notice of such hearings shall also be |
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1 | published in
a newspaper of general circulation in such | ||||||
2 | county. The respondent may
file a written answer, and at | ||||||
3 | such hearing the rules prescribed in
Sections 32 and 33 of | ||||||
4 | this Act shall apply. In the case of actual or
threatened | ||||||
5 | acts outside Illinois contributing to environmental damage | ||||||
6 | in
Illinois, the extraterritorial service-of-process | ||||||
7 | provisions of Sections
2-208 and 2-209 of the Code of Civil | ||||||
8 | Procedure shall apply.
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9 | With respect to notices served pursuant to this | ||||||
10 | subsection (c)(1) that which
involve hazardous material or | ||||||
11 | wastes in any manner, the Agency shall
annually publish a | ||||||
12 | list of all such notices served. The list shall include
the | ||||||
13 | date the investigation commenced, the date notice was sent, | ||||||
14 | the date
the matter was referred to the Attorney General, | ||||||
15 | if applicable, and the
current status of the matter.
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16 | (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) | ||||||
17 | of this subsection
(c), whenever a complaint has been filed | ||||||
18 | on behalf of the Agency or by the
People of the State of | ||||||
19 | Illinois, the parties may file with the Board a
stipulation | ||||||
20 | and proposal for settlement accompanied by a request for | ||||||
21 | relief
from the requirement of a hearing pursuant to | ||||||
22 | subdivision (1). Unless the
Board, in its discretion, | ||||||
23 | concludes that a hearing will be held, the Board
shall | ||||||
24 | cause notice of the stipulation, proposal and request for | ||||||
25 | relief to
be published and sent in the same manner as is | ||||||
26 | required for hearing
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this |
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1 | subsection. The notice shall include a
statement that any | ||||||
2 | person may file a written demand for hearing within 21
days | ||||||
3 | after receiving the notice. If any person files a timely | ||||||
4 | written
demand for hearing, the Board shall deny the | ||||||
5 | request for relief from a
hearing and shall hold a hearing | ||||||
6 | in accordance with the provisions of
subdivision (1).
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7 | (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) | ||||||
8 | of this subsection
(c), if the Agency becomes aware of a | ||||||
9 | violation of this Act arising from, or
as a result of, | ||||||
10 | voluntary pollution prevention activities, the Agency | ||||||
11 | shall not
proceed with the written notice required by | ||||||
12 | subsection (a) of this Section
unless:
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13 | (A) the person fails to take corrective action or | ||||||
14 | eliminate the reported
violation within a reasonable | ||||||
15 | time; or
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16 | (B) the Agency believes that the violation poses a | ||||||
17 | substantial and
imminent danger to the public health or | ||||||
18 | welfare or the environment. For the
purposes of this | ||||||
19 | item (B), "substantial and imminent danger" means a | ||||||
20 | danger
with a likelihood of serious or irreversible | ||||||
21 | harm.
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22 | (d)(1) Any person may file with the Board a complaint, | ||||||
23 | meeting
the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section, | ||||||
24 | against any person
allegedly violating this Act, any rule | ||||||
25 | or regulation adopted under this
Act, any permit or term or | ||||||
26 | condition of a permit, or any Board order. The complainant |
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1 | shall immediately serve a copy of such complaint
upon the | ||||||
2 | person or persons named therein. Unless the Board | ||||||
3 | determines that
such complaint is duplicative or | ||||||
4 | frivolous, it shall schedule a hearing and
serve written | ||||||
5 | notice thereof upon the person or persons named therein, in
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6 | accord with subsection (c) of this Section.
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7 | (2) Whenever a complaint has been filed by a person | ||||||
8 | other than the
Attorney General or the State's Attorney, | ||||||
9 | the parties may file with the Board
a stipulation and | ||||||
10 | proposal for settlement accompanied by a request for relief
| ||||||
11 | from the hearing requirement of subdivision (c)(1) of this | ||||||
12 | Section. Unless
the Board, in its discretion, concludes | ||||||
13 | that a hearing should be held, no
hearing on the | ||||||
14 | stipulation and proposal for settlement is required.
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15 | (e) In hearings before the Board under this Title the | ||||||
16 | burden shall
be on the Agency or other complainant to show | ||||||
17 | either that the respondent
has caused or threatened to cause | ||||||
18 | air or water pollution or that the
respondent has violated or | ||||||
19 | threatens to violate any provision of this
Act or any rule or | ||||||
20 | regulation of the Board or permit or term or
condition thereof. | ||||||
21 | If such proof has been made, the burden shall be on
the | ||||||
22 | respondent to show that compliance with the Board's regulations
| ||||||
23 | would impose an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship.
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24 | (f) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to | ||||||
25 | administrative
citation actions commenced under Section 31.1 | ||||||
26 | of this Act.
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1 | (Source: P.A. 92-574, eff. 6-26-02; 93-152, eff. 7-10-03.)
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2 | (415 ILCS 5/42) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1042) | ||||||
3 | Sec. 42. Civil penalties. | ||||||
4 | (a) Except as provided in this Section, any person that | ||||||
5 | violates any
provision of this Act or any regulation adopted by | ||||||
6 | the Board, or any permit
or term or condition thereof, or that | ||||||
7 | violates any order of the Board pursuant
to this Act, shall be | ||||||
8 | liable for a civil penalty of not to exceed
$50,000 for the | ||||||
9 | violation and an additional civil penalty of not to exceed
| ||||||
10 | $10,000 for each day during which the violation continues; such | ||||||
11 | penalties may,
upon order of the Board or a court of competent | ||||||
12 | jurisdiction, be made payable
to the Environmental Protection | ||||||
13 | Trust Fund, to be used in accordance with the
provisions of the | ||||||
14 | Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act. | ||||||
15 | (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of | ||||||
16 | this Section: | ||||||
17 | (1) Any person that violates Section 12(f) of this Act | ||||||
18 | or any
NPDES permit or term or condition thereof, or any | ||||||
19 | filing requirement,
regulation or order relating to the | ||||||
20 | NPDES permit program, shall be liable
to a civil penalty of | ||||||
21 | not to exceed $10,000 per day of violation. | ||||||
22 | (2) Any person that violates Section 12(g) of this Act | ||||||
23 | or any UIC permit
or term or condition thereof, or any | ||||||
24 | filing requirement, regulation or order
relating to the | ||||||
25 | State UIC program for all wells, except Class II wells as
|
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| |||||||
1 | defined by the Board under this Act, shall be liable to a | ||||||
2 | civil penalty
not to exceed $2,500 per day of violation; | ||||||
3 | provided, however, that any person
who commits such | ||||||
4 | violations relating to the State UIC program for Class
II | ||||||
5 | wells, as defined by the Board under this Act, shall be | ||||||
6 | liable to a civil
penalty of not to exceed $10,000 for the | ||||||
7 | violation and an additional civil
penalty of not to exceed | ||||||
8 | $1,000 for each day during which the violation
continues. | ||||||
9 | (3) Any person that violates Sections 21(f), 21(g), | ||||||
10 | 21(h) or 21(i) of
this Act, or any RCRA permit or term or | ||||||
11 | condition thereof, or any filing
requirement, regulation | ||||||
12 | or order relating to the State RCRA program, shall
be | ||||||
13 | liable to a civil penalty of not to exceed $25,000 per day | ||||||
14 | of violation. | ||||||
15 | (4)
In an administrative citation action under Section | ||||||
16 | 31.1 of this Act,
any person found to have violated any | ||||||
17 | provision of subsection (o) of
Section 21 of this Act shall | ||||||
18 | pay a civil penalty of $500 for each
violation of each such | ||||||
19 | provision, plus any hearing costs incurred by the Board
and | ||||||
20 | the Agency. Such penalties shall be made payable to the | ||||||
21 | Environmental
Protection Trust Fund, to be used in | ||||||
22 | accordance with the provisions of the
Environmental | ||||||
23 | Protection Trust Fund Act; except that if a unit of local
| ||||||
24 | government issued the administrative citation, 50% of the | ||||||
25 | civil penalty shall
be payable to the unit of local | ||||||
26 | government. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (4-5) In an administrative citation action under | ||||||
2 | Section 31.1 of this
Act, any person found to have violated | ||||||
3 | any
provision of subsection (p) of
Section 21, Section | ||||||
4 | 22.51, Section 22.51a, or subsection (k) of Section 55 of | ||||||
5 | this Act shall pay a civil penalty of $1,500 for each | ||||||
6 | violation
of
each such provision, plus any hearing costs | ||||||
7 | incurred by the Board and the
Agency, except that the civil | ||||||
8 | penalty amount shall be $3,000 for
each violation of any | ||||||
9 | provision of subsection (p) of Section 21, Section 22.51, | ||||||
10 | Section 22.51a, or subsection (k) of Section 55 that is the
| ||||||
11 | person's second or subsequent adjudication violation of | ||||||
12 | that
provision. The penalties shall be deposited into the
| ||||||
13 | Environmental Protection Trust Fund, to be used in | ||||||
14 | accordance with the
provisions of the Environmental | ||||||
15 | Protection Trust Fund Act; except that if a
unit of local | ||||||
16 | government issued the administrative citation, 50% of the | ||||||
17 | civil
penalty shall be payable to the unit of local | ||||||
18 | government. | ||||||
19 | (5) Any person who violates subsection 6 of Section | ||||||
20 | 39.5 of this Act
or any CAAPP permit, or term or condition | ||||||
21 | thereof, or any fee or filing
requirement, or any duty to | ||||||
22 | allow or carry out inspection, entry or
monitoring | ||||||
23 | activities, or any regulation or order relating to the | ||||||
24 | CAAPP
shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed | ||||||
25 | $10,000 per day of violation. | ||||||
26 | (6) Any owner or operator of a community water system |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | that violates subsection (b) of Section 18.1 or subsection | ||||||
2 | (a) of Section 25d-3 of this Act shall, for each day of | ||||||
3 | violation, be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $5 | ||||||
4 | for each of the premises connected to the affected | ||||||
5 | community water system. | ||||||
6 | (b.5) In lieu of the penalties set forth in subsections (a) | ||||||
7 | and (b) of
this Section, any person who fails to file, in a | ||||||
8 | timely manner, toxic
chemical release forms with the Agency | ||||||
9 | pursuant to Section 25b-2
of this Act
shall be liable for a | ||||||
10 | civil penalty of $100 per day for
each day the forms are
late, | ||||||
11 | not to exceed a maximum total penalty of $6,000. This daily | ||||||
12 | penalty
shall begin accruing on the thirty-first day after the
| ||||||
13 | date that the person receives the warning notice issued by the | ||||||
14 | Agency pursuant
to Section 25b-6 of this Act; and the penalty | ||||||
15 | shall be paid to the Agency. The
daily accrual of penalties | ||||||
16 | shall cease as of January 1 of the following year.
All | ||||||
17 | penalties collected by the Agency pursuant to this subsection | ||||||
18 | shall be
deposited into the Environmental Protection Permit and | ||||||
19 | Inspection Fund. | ||||||
20 | (c) Any person that violates this Act, any rule or | ||||||
21 | regulation adopted under
this Act, any permit or term or | ||||||
22 | condition of a permit, or any Board order and
causes the death | ||||||
23 | of fish
or aquatic life shall, in addition to the other | ||||||
24 | penalties provided by
this Act, be liable to pay to the State | ||||||
25 | an additional sum for the
reasonable value of the fish or | ||||||
26 | aquatic life destroyed. Any money so
recovered shall be placed |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | in the Wildlife and Fish Fund in the State
Treasury. | ||||||
2 | (d) The penalties provided for in this Section may be | ||||||
3 | recovered in a
civil action. | ||||||
4 | (e) The State's Attorney of the county in which the | ||||||
5 | violation
occurred, or the Attorney General, may, at the | ||||||
6 | request of the Agency or
on his own motion, institute a civil | ||||||
7 | action for an injunction, prohibitory or mandatory, to
restrain | ||||||
8 | violations of this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under | ||||||
9 | this Act,
any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any | ||||||
10 | Board order, or to require such other actions as may be | ||||||
11 | necessary to address violations of this Act, any rule or | ||||||
12 | regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or | ||||||
13 | condition of a permit, or any Board order. | ||||||
14 | (f) The State's Attorney of the county in which the | ||||||
15 | violation
occurred, or the Attorney General, shall bring such | ||||||
16 | actions in the name
of the people of the State of Illinois.
| ||||||
17 | Without limiting any other authority which may exist for the | ||||||
18 | awarding
of attorney's fees and costs, the Board or a court of | ||||||
19 | competent
jurisdiction may award costs and reasonable | ||||||
20 | attorney's fees, including the
reasonable costs of expert | ||||||
21 | witnesses and consultants, to the State's
Attorney or the | ||||||
22 | Attorney General in a case where he has prevailed against a
| ||||||
23 | person who has committed a wilful, knowing or repeated | ||||||
24 | violation of this Act,
any rule or regulation adopted under | ||||||
25 | this Act, any permit or term or condition
of a permit, or any | ||||||
26 | Board order. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Any funds collected under this subsection (f) in which the | ||||||
2 | Attorney
General has prevailed shall be deposited in the
| ||||||
3 | Hazardous Waste Fund created in Section 22.2 of this Act. Any | ||||||
4 | funds
collected under this subsection (f) in which a State's | ||||||
5 | Attorney has
prevailed shall be retained by the county in which | ||||||
6 | he serves. | ||||||
7 | (g) All final orders imposing civil penalties pursuant to | ||||||
8 | this Section
shall prescribe the time for payment of such | ||||||
9 | penalties. If any such
penalty is not paid within the time | ||||||
10 | prescribed, interest on such penalty
at the rate set forth in | ||||||
11 | subsection (a) of Section 1003 of the Illinois Income
Tax Act, | ||||||
12 | shall be paid for the period from the date payment is due until | ||||||
13 | the
date payment is received. However, if the time for payment | ||||||
14 | is stayed during
the pendency of an appeal, interest shall not | ||||||
15 | accrue during such stay. | ||||||
16 | (h) In determining the appropriate civil penalty to be | ||||||
17 | imposed under
subdivisions (a), (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), or | ||||||
18 | (b)(5) of this
Section, the Board is authorized to consider any | ||||||
19 | matters of record in
mitigation or aggravation of penalty, | ||||||
20 | including but not limited to the
following factors: | ||||||
21 | (1) the duration and gravity of the violation; | ||||||
22 | (2) the presence or absence of due diligence on the | ||||||
23 | part of the
respondent in attempting to comply with | ||||||
24 | requirements of this
Act and regulations thereunder or to | ||||||
25 | secure relief therefrom as provided by
this Act; | ||||||
26 | (3) any economic benefits accrued by the respondent
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | because of delay in compliance with requirements, in which | ||||||
2 | case the economic
benefits shall be determined by the | ||||||
3 | lowest cost alternative for achieving
compliance; | ||||||
4 | (4) the amount of monetary penalty which will serve to | ||||||
5 | deter further
violations by the respondent and to otherwise | ||||||
6 | aid in enhancing
voluntary
compliance with this Act by the | ||||||
7 | respondent and other persons
similarly
subject to the Act; | ||||||
8 | (5) the number, proximity in time, and gravity of | ||||||
9 | previously
adjudicated violations of this Act by the | ||||||
10 | respondent; | ||||||
11 | (6) whether the respondent voluntarily self-disclosed, | ||||||
12 | in accordance
with subsection (i) of this Section, the | ||||||
13 | non-compliance to the Agency; and | ||||||
14 | (7) whether the respondent has agreed to undertake a | ||||||
15 | "supplemental
environmental project," which means an | ||||||
16 | environmentally beneficial project that
a respondent | ||||||
17 | agrees to undertake in settlement of an enforcement action | ||||||
18 | brought
under this Act, but which the respondent is not | ||||||
19 | otherwise legally required to
perform ; and . | ||||||
20 | (8) whether the respondent has successfully completed | ||||||
21 | a Compliance Commitment Agreement under subsection (a) of | ||||||
22 | Section 31 of this Act to remedy the violations that are | ||||||
23 | the subject of the complaint. | ||||||
24 | In determining the appropriate civil penalty to be imposed | ||||||
25 | under subsection
(a) or paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (5) of | ||||||
26 | subsection (b) of this Section, the
Board shall ensure, in all |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | cases, that the penalty is at least as great as the
economic | ||||||
2 | benefits, if any, accrued by the respondent as a result of the
| ||||||
3 | violation, unless the Board finds that imposition of such | ||||||
4 | penalty would result
in an arbitrary or unreasonable financial | ||||||
5 | hardship. However, such civil
penalty
may be off-set in whole | ||||||
6 | or in part pursuant to a supplemental
environmental project | ||||||
7 | agreed to by the complainant and the respondent. | ||||||
8 | (i) A person who voluntarily self-discloses non-compliance | ||||||
9 | to the Agency,
of which the Agency had been unaware, is | ||||||
10 | entitled to a 100% reduction in the
portion of the penalty that | ||||||
11 | is not based on the economic benefit of
non-compliance if the | ||||||
12 | person can
establish the following: | ||||||
13 | (1) that the non-compliance was discovered through an | ||||||
14 | environmental
audit or a compliance management system | ||||||
15 | documented by the regulated entity as
reflecting the | ||||||
16 | regulated entity's due diligence in preventing, detecting, | ||||||
17 | and
correcting violations; | ||||||
18 | (2) that the non-compliance was disclosed in writing | ||||||
19 | within 30 days of
the date on which the person discovered | ||||||
20 | it; | ||||||
21 | (3) that the non-compliance was discovered and | ||||||
22 | disclosed prior to: | ||||||
23 | (i) the commencement of an Agency inspection, | ||||||
24 | investigation, or request
for information; | ||||||
25 | (ii) notice of a citizen suit; | ||||||
26 | (iii) the filing of a complaint by a citizen, the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Illinois Attorney
General, or the State's Attorney of | ||||||
2 | the county in which the violation occurred; | ||||||
3 | (iv) the reporting of the non-compliance by an | ||||||
4 | employee of the person
without that person's | ||||||
5 | knowledge; or | ||||||
6 | (v) imminent discovery of the non-compliance by | ||||||
7 | the Agency; | ||||||
8 | (4) that the non-compliance is being corrected and any | ||||||
9 | environmental
harm is being remediated in a timely fashion; | ||||||
10 | (5) that the person agrees to prevent a recurrence of | ||||||
11 | the non-compliance; | ||||||
12 | (6) that no related non-compliance events have | ||||||
13 | occurred in the
past 3 years at the same facility or in the | ||||||
14 | past 5 years as part of a
pattern at multiple facilities | ||||||
15 | owned or operated by the person; | ||||||
16 | (7) that the non-compliance did not result in serious | ||||||
17 | actual
harm or present an imminent and substantial | ||||||
18 | endangerment to human
health or the environment or violate | ||||||
19 | the specific terms of any judicial or
administrative order | ||||||
20 | or consent agreement; | ||||||
21 | (8) that the person cooperates as reasonably requested | ||||||
22 | by the Agency
after the disclosure; and | ||||||
23 | (9) that the non-compliance was identified voluntarily | ||||||
24 | and not through a
monitoring, sampling, or auditing | ||||||
25 | procedure that is required by statute, rule,
permit, | ||||||
26 | judicial or administrative order, or consent agreement. |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | If a person can establish all of the elements under this | ||||||
2 | subsection except
the element set forth in paragraph (1) of | ||||||
3 | this subsection, the person is
entitled to a 75% reduction in | ||||||
4 | the portion of the penalty that is not based
upon the economic | ||||||
5 | benefit of non-compliance. | ||||||
6 | (j) In addition to any an other remedy or penalty that may
| ||||||
7 | apply, whether civil or criminal, any person who violates | ||||||
8 | Section 22.52 of this Act shall be liable for an additional | ||||||
9 | civil penalty of up to 3 times the gross amount of any | ||||||
10 | pecuniary gain resulting from the violation.
| ||||||
11 | (k) In addition to any other remedy or penalty that may | ||||||
12 | apply, whether civil or criminal, any person who violates | ||||||
13 | subdivision (a)(7.6) of Section 31 of this Act shall be liable | ||||||
14 | for an additional civil penalty of $2,000. | ||||||
15 | (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-603, eff. 8-24-09; | ||||||
16 | 96-737, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1416, eff. | ||||||
17 | 7-30-10.)
| ||||||
18 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
19 | becoming law.
|