Public Act 0519 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1357 Enrolled LRB097 00021 JDS 40022 b

Public Act 097-0519

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by changing Sections 31 and 42 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/31) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1031)

Sec. 31. Notice; complaint; hearing.

(a)(1) Within 180 days after of becoming aware of an alleged violation of the Act, or any rule adopted under the Act, or of a permit granted by the Agency, or a condition of such a the permit, the Agency shall issue and serve, by certified mail, upon the person complained against a written notice informing that person that the Agency has evidence of the alleged violation. At a minimum, the written notice shall contain:

(A) a notification to the person complained against of the requirement to submit a written response addressing the violations alleged and the option to meet with appropriate agency personnel to resolve any alleged violations that could lead to the filing of a formal complaint;

(B) a detailed explanation by the Agency of the violations alleged;

(C) an explanation by the Agency of the actions that the Agency believes may resolve the alleged violations, including an estimate of a reasonable time period for the person complained against to complete the suggested resolution; and

(D) an explanation of any alleged violation that the Agency believes cannot be resolved without the involvement of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred and the basis for the Agency's belief.

(2) A written response to the violations alleged shall be submitted to the Agency, by certified mail, within 45 days after of receipt of notice by the person complained against, unless the Agency agrees to an extension. The written response shall include:

(A) information in rebuttal, explanation or justification of each alleged violation;

(B) if the person complained against desires to enter into a Compliance Commitment Agreement, proposed terms for a proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement that includes specified times for achieving each commitment and which may consist of a statement indicating that the person complained against believes that compliance has been achieved; and

(C) a request for a meeting with appropriate Agency personnel if a meeting is desired by the person complained against.

(3) If the person complained against fails to respond in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (2) of this subsection (a), the failure to respond shall be considered a waiver of the requirements of this subsection (a) and nothing in this Section shall preclude the Agency from proceeding pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

(4) A meeting requested pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection (a) shall be held without a representative of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred, within 60 days after of receipt of notice by the person complained against, unless the Agency agrees to a postponement. At the meeting, the Agency shall provide an opportunity for the person complained against to respond to each alleged violation, suggested resolution, and suggested implementation time frame, and to suggest alternate resolutions.

(5) If a meeting requested pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection (a) is held, the person complained against shall, within 21 days following the meeting or within an extended time period as agreed to by the Agency, submit by certified mail to the Agency a written response to the alleged violations. The written response shall include:

(A) additional information in rebuttal, explanation, or justification of each alleged violation;

(B) if the person complained against desires to enter into a Compliance Commitment Agreement, proposed terms for a proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement that includes specified times for achieving each commitment and which may consist of a statement indicating that the person complained against believes that compliance has been achieved; and

(C) a statement indicating that, should the person complained against so wish, the person complained against chooses to rely upon the initial written response submitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection (a).

(6) If the person complained against fails to respond in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (5) of this subsection (a), the failure to respond shall be considered a waiver of the requirements of this subsection (a) and nothing in this Section shall preclude the Agency from proceeding pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

(7) Within 30 days after of the Agency's receipt of a written response submitted by the person complained against pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection (a), if a meeting is not requested, or pursuant to subdivision (5) of this subsection (a), if a meeting is held, or within a later time period as agreed to by the Agency and the person complained against, the Agency shall issue and serve, by certified mail, upon the person complained against (i) a written notice informing the person of its acceptance, rejection, or proposed modification to the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement or (ii) a notice that one or more 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 and that no proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement will be issued by the Agency for those violations. The Agency shall include terms and conditions in the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement that are, in its discretion, necessary to bring the person complained against into compliance with the Act, any rule adopted under the Act, any permit granted by the Agency, or any condition of such a permit. The Agency shall take into consideration the proposed terms for the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement that were provided under subdivision (a)(2)(B) or (a)(5)(B) of this Section by the person complained against as contained within the written response.

(7.5) Within 30 days after the receipt of the Agency's proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement by the person complained against, the person shall either (i) agree to and sign the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement provided by the Agency and submit the signed Compliance Commitment Agreement to the Agency by certified mail or (ii) notify the Agency in writing by certified mail of the person's rejection of the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement. If the person complained against fails to respond to the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement within 30 days as required under this paragraph, the proposed Compliance Commitment Agreement is deemed rejected by operation of law. Any Compliance Commitment Agreement entered into under item (i) of this paragraph may be amended subsequently in writing by mutual agreement between the Agency and the signatory to the Compliance Commitment Agreement, the signatory's legal representative, or the signatory's agent.

(7.6) No person shall violate the terms or conditions of a Compliance Commitment Agreement entered into under subdivision (a)(7.5) of this Section. Successful completion of a Compliance Commitment Agreement or an amended Compliance Commitment Agreement shall be a factor to be weighed, in favor of the person completing the Agreement, by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General in determining whether to file a complaint for the violations that were the subject of the Agreement.

(8) Nothing in this subsection (a) is intended to require the Agency to enter into Compliance Commitment Agreements for any alleged violation that the Agency believes 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, for, among other purposes, the imposition of statutory penalties.

(9) The Agency's failure to respond within 30 days to a written response submitted pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection (a), if a meeting is not requested, or pursuant to subdivision (5) of this subsection (a), if a meeting is held, within 30 days, or within the time period otherwise agreed to in writing by the Agency and the person complained against, shall be deemed an acceptance by the Agency of the proposed terms of the Compliance Commitment Agreement for the violations alleged in the written notice issued under subdivision (1) of this subsection (a) as contained within the written response.

(10) If the person complained against complies with the terms of a Compliance Commitment Agreement accepted pursuant to this subsection (a), the Agency shall not refer the alleged violations which are the subject of the Compliance Commitment Agreement to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred. However, nothing in this subsection is intended to preclude the Agency from continuing negotiations with the person complained against or from proceeding pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section for alleged violations that which remain the subject of disagreement between the Agency and the person complained against following fulfillment of the requirements of this subsection (a).

(11) Nothing in this subsection (a) is intended to preclude the person complained against from submitting to the Agency, by certified mail, at any time, notification that the person complained against consents to waiver of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section.

(12) The Agency shall have the authority to adopt rules for the administration of subsection (a) of this Section. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(b) For alleged violations that remain the subject of disagreement between the Agency and the person complained against following fulfillment of the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section, and for alleged violations of the terms or conditions of a Compliance Commitment Agreement entered into under subdivision (a)(7.5) of this Section as well as the alleged violations that are the subject of the Compliance Commitment Agreement, and as a precondition to the Agency's referral or request to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred for legal representation regarding an alleged violation that may be addressed pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this Section or pursuant to Section 42 of this Act, the Agency shall issue and serve, by certified mail, upon the person complained against a written notice informing that person that the Agency intends to pursue legal action. Such notice shall notify the person complained against of the violations to be alleged and offer the person an opportunity to meet with appropriate Agency personnel in an effort to resolve any alleged violations that could lead to the filing of a formal complaint. The meeting with Agency personnel shall be held within 30 days after of receipt of notice served pursuant to this subsection upon the person complained against, unless the Agency agrees to a postponement or the person notifies the Agency that he or she will not appear at a meeting within the 30-day time period. Nothing in this subsection is intended to preclude the Agency from following the provisions of subsection (c) or (d) of this Section or from requesting the legal representation of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violations occurred for alleged violations which remain the subject of disagreement between the Agency and the person complained against after the provisions of this subsection are fulfilled.

(c)(1) For alleged violations which remain the subject of disagreement between the Agency and the person complained against following waiver, pursuant to subdivision (10) of subsection (a) of this Section, or fulfillment of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General or the State's Attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred shall issue and serve upon the person complained against a written notice, together with a formal complaint, which shall specify the provision of the Act, or the rule, or regulation, or permit, or term or condition thereof under which such person is said to be in violation, and a statement of the manner in, and the extent to which such person is said to violate the Act, or such rule, or regulation, or permit, or term or condition thereof and shall require the person so complained against to answer the charges of such formal complaint at a hearing before the Board at a time not less than 21 days after the date of notice by the Board, except as provided in Section 34 of this Act. Such complaint shall be accompanied by a notification to the defendant that financing may be available, through the Illinois Environmental Facilities Financing Act, to correct such violation. A copy of such notice of such hearings shall also be sent to any person that has complained to the Agency respecting the respondent within the six months preceding the date of the complaint, and to any person in the county in which the offending activity occurred that has requested notice of enforcement proceedings; 21 days notice of such hearings shall also be published in a newspaper of general circulation in such county. The respondent may file a written answer, and at such hearing the rules prescribed in Sections 32 and 33 of this Act shall apply. In the case of actual or threatened acts outside Illinois contributing to environmental damage in Illinois, the extraterritorial service-of-process provisions of Sections 2-208 and 2-209 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply.

With respect to notices served pursuant to this subsection (c)(1) that which involve hazardous material or wastes in any manner, the Agency shall annually publish a list of all such notices served. The list shall include the date the investigation commenced, the date notice was sent, the date the matter was referred to the Attorney General, if applicable, and the current status of the matter.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection (c), whenever a complaint has been filed on behalf of the Agency or by the People of the State of Illinois, the parties may file with the Board a stipulation and proposal for settlement accompanied by a request for relief from the requirement of a hearing pursuant to subdivision (1). Unless the Board, in its discretion, concludes that a hearing will be held, the Board shall cause notice of the stipulation, proposal and request for relief to be published and sent in the same manner as is required for hearing pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. The notice shall include a statement that any person may file a written demand for hearing within 21 days after receiving the notice. If any person files a timely written demand for hearing, the Board shall deny the request for relief from a hearing and shall hold a hearing in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1).

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection (c), if the Agency becomes aware of a violation of this Act arising from, or as a result of, voluntary pollution prevention activities, the Agency shall not proceed with the written notice required by subsection (a) of this Section unless:

(A) the person fails to take corrective action or eliminate the reported violation within a reasonable time; or

(B) the Agency believes that the violation poses a substantial and imminent danger to the public health or welfare or the environment. For the purposes of this item (B), "substantial and imminent danger" means a danger with a likelihood of serious or irreversible harm.

(d)(1) Any person may file with the Board a complaint, meeting the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section, against any person allegedly violating this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order. The complainant shall immediately serve a copy of such complaint upon the person or persons named therein. Unless the Board determines that such complaint is duplicative or frivolous, it shall schedule a hearing and serve written notice thereof upon the person or persons named therein, in accord with subsection (c) of this Section.

(2) Whenever a complaint has been filed by a person other than the Attorney General or the State's Attorney, the parties may file with the Board a stipulation and proposal for settlement accompanied by a request for relief from the hearing requirement of subdivision (c)(1) of this Section. Unless the Board, in its discretion, concludes that a hearing should be held, no hearing on the stipulation and proposal for settlement is required.

(e) In hearings before the Board under this Title the burden shall be on the Agency or other complainant to show either that the respondent has caused or threatened to cause air or water pollution or that the respondent has violated or threatens to violate any provision of this Act or any rule or regulation of the Board or permit or term or condition thereof. If such proof has been made, the burden shall be on the respondent to show that compliance with the Board's regulations would impose an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship.

(f) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to administrative citation actions commenced under Section 31.1 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-574, eff. 6-26-02; 93-152, eff. 7-10-03.)

(415 ILCS 5/42) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1042)

Sec. 42. Civil penalties.

(a) Except as provided in this Section, any person that violates any provision of this Act or any regulation adopted by the Board, or any permit or term or condition thereof, or that violates any order of the Board pursuant to this Act, shall be liable for a civil penalty of not to exceed $50,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty of not to exceed $10,000 for each day during which the violation continues; such penalties may, upon order of the Board or a court of competent jurisdiction, be made payable to the Environmental Protection Trust Fund, to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section:

(1) Any person that violates Section 12(f) of this Act or any NPDES permit or term or condition thereof, or any filing requirement, regulation or order relating to the NPDES permit program, shall be liable to a civil penalty of not to exceed $10,000 per day of violation.

(2) Any person that violates Section 12(g) of this Act or any UIC permit or term or condition thereof, or any filing requirement, regulation or order relating to the State UIC program for all wells, except Class II wells as defined by the Board under this Act, shall be liable to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 per day of violation; provided, however, that any person who commits such violations relating to the State UIC program for Class II wells, as defined by the Board under this Act, shall be liable to a civil penalty of not to exceed $10,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty of not to exceed $1,000 for each day during which the violation continues.

(3) Any person that violates Sections 21(f), 21(g), 21(h) or 21(i) of this Act, or any RCRA permit or term or condition thereof, or any filing requirement, regulation or order relating to the State RCRA program, shall be liable to a civil penalty of not to exceed $25,000 per day of violation.

(4) In an administrative citation action under Section 31.1 of this Act, any person found to have violated any provision of subsection (o) of Section 21 of this Act shall pay a civil penalty of $500 for each violation of each such provision, plus any hearing costs incurred by the Board and the Agency. Such penalties shall be made payable to the Environmental Protection Trust Fund, to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act; except that if a unit of local government issued the administrative citation, 50% of the civil penalty shall be payable to the unit of local government.

(4-5) In an administrative citation action under Section 31.1 of this Act, any person found to have violated any provision of subsection (p) of Section 21, Section 22.51, Section 22.51a, or subsection (k) of Section 55 of this Act shall pay a civil penalty of $1,500 for each violation of each such provision, plus any hearing costs incurred by the Board and the Agency, except that the civil penalty amount shall be $3,000 for each violation of any provision of subsection (p) of Section 21, Section 22.51, Section 22.51a, or subsection (k) of Section 55 that is the person's second or subsequent adjudication violation of that provision. The penalties shall be deposited into the Environmental Protection Trust Fund, to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act; except that if a unit of local government issued the administrative citation, 50% of the civil penalty shall be payable to the unit of local government.

(5) Any person who violates subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act or any CAAPP permit, or term or condition thereof, or any fee or filing requirement, or any duty to allow or carry out inspection, entry or monitoring activities, or any regulation or order relating to the CAAPP shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per day of violation.

(6) Any owner or operator of a community water system that violates subsection (b) of Section 18.1 or subsection (a) of Section 25d-3 of this Act shall, for each day of violation, be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $5 for each of the premises connected to the affected community water system.

(b.5) In lieu of the penalties set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, any person who fails to file, in a timely manner, toxic chemical release forms with the Agency pursuant to Section 25b-2 of this Act shall be liable for a civil penalty of $100 per day for each day the forms are late, not to exceed a maximum total penalty of $6,000. This daily penalty shall begin accruing on the thirty-first day after the date that the person receives the warning notice issued by the Agency pursuant to Section 25b-6 of this Act; and the penalty shall be paid to the Agency. The daily accrual of penalties shall cease as of January 1 of the following year. All penalties collected by the Agency pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited into the Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund.

(c) Any person that violates this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order and causes the death of fish or aquatic life shall, in addition to the other penalties provided by this Act, be liable to pay to the State an additional sum for the reasonable value of the fish or aquatic life destroyed. Any money so recovered shall be placed in the Wildlife and Fish Fund in the State Treasury.

(d) The penalties provided for in this Section may be recovered in a civil action.

(e) The State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or the Attorney General, may, at the request of the Agency or on his own motion, institute a civil action for an injunction, prohibitory or mandatory, to restrain violations of this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order, or to require such other actions as may be necessary to address violations of this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order.

(f) The State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or the Attorney General, shall bring such actions in the name of the people of the State of Illinois. Without limiting any other authority which may exist for the awarding of attorney's fees and costs, the Board or a court of competent jurisdiction may award costs and reasonable attorney's fees, including the reasonable costs of expert witnesses and consultants, to the State's Attorney or the Attorney General in a case where he has prevailed against a person who has committed a wilful, knowing or repeated violation of this Act, any rule or regulation adopted under this Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order.

Any funds collected under this subsection (f) in which the Attorney General has prevailed shall be deposited in the Hazardous Waste Fund created in Section 22.2 of this Act. Any funds collected under this subsection (f) in which a State's Attorney has prevailed shall be retained by the county in which he serves.

(g) All final orders imposing civil penalties pursuant to this Section shall prescribe the time for payment of such penalties. If any such penalty is not paid within the time prescribed, interest on such penalty at the rate set forth in subsection (a) of Section 1003 of the Illinois Income Tax Act, shall be paid for the period from the date payment is due until the date payment is received. However, if the time for payment is stayed during the pendency of an appeal, interest shall not accrue during such stay.

(h) In determining the appropriate civil penalty to be imposed under subdivisions (a), (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), or (b)(5) of this Section, the Board is authorized to consider any matters of record in mitigation or aggravation of penalty, including but not limited to the following factors:

(1) the duration and gravity of the violation;

(2) the presence or absence of due diligence on the part of the respondent in attempting to comply with requirements of this Act and regulations thereunder or to secure relief therefrom as provided by this Act;

(3) any economic benefits accrued by the respondent because of delay in compliance with requirements, in which case the economic benefits shall be determined by the lowest cost alternative for achieving compliance;

(4) the amount of monetary penalty which will serve to deter further violations by the respondent and to otherwise aid in enhancing voluntary compliance with this Act by the respondent and other persons similarly subject to the Act;

(5) the number, proximity in time, and gravity of previously adjudicated violations of this Act by the respondent;

(6) whether the respondent voluntarily self-disclosed, in accordance with subsection (i) of this Section, the non-compliance to the Agency; and

(7) whether the respondent has agreed to undertake a "supplemental environmental project," which means an environmentally beneficial project that a respondent agrees to undertake in settlement of an enforcement action brought under this Act, but which the respondent is not otherwise legally required to perform; and .

(8) whether the respondent has successfully completed a Compliance Commitment Agreement under subsection (a) of Section 31 of this Act to remedy the violations that are the subject of the complaint.

In determining the appropriate civil penalty to be imposed under subsection (a) or paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (5) of subsection (b) of this Section, the Board shall ensure, in all cases, that the penalty is at least as great as the economic benefits, if any, accrued by the respondent as a result of the violation, unless the Board finds that imposition of such penalty would result in an arbitrary or unreasonable financial hardship. However, such civil penalty may be off-set in whole or in part pursuant to a supplemental environmental project agreed to by the complainant and the respondent.

(i) A person who voluntarily self-discloses non-compliance to the Agency, of which the Agency had been unaware, is entitled to a 100% reduction in the portion of the penalty that is not based on the economic benefit of non-compliance if the person can establish the following:

(1) that the non-compliance was discovered through an environmental audit or a compliance management system documented by the regulated entity as reflecting the regulated entity's due diligence in preventing, detecting, and correcting violations;

(2) that the non-compliance was disclosed in writing within 30 days of the date on which the person discovered it;

(3) that the non-compliance was discovered and disclosed prior to:

(i) the commencement of an Agency inspection, investigation, or request for information;

(ii) notice of a citizen suit;

(iii) the filing of a complaint by a citizen, the Illinois Attorney General, or the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred;

(iv) the reporting of the non-compliance by an employee of the person without that person's knowledge; or

(v) imminent discovery of the non-compliance by the Agency;

(4) that the non-compliance is being corrected and any environmental harm is being remediated in a timely fashion;

(5) that the person agrees to prevent a recurrence of the non-compliance;

(6) that no related non-compliance events have occurred in the past 3 years at the same facility or in the past 5 years as part of a pattern at multiple facilities owned or operated by the person;

(7) that the non-compliance did not result in serious actual harm or present an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health or the environment or violate the specific terms of any judicial or administrative order or consent agreement;

(8) that the person cooperates as reasonably requested by the Agency after the disclosure; and

(9) that the non-compliance was identified voluntarily and not through a monitoring, sampling, or auditing procedure that is required by statute, rule, permit, judicial or administrative order, or consent agreement.

If a person can establish all of the elements under this subsection except the element set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the person is entitled to a 75% reduction in the portion of the penalty that is not based upon the economic benefit of non-compliance.

(j) In addition to any an other remedy or penalty that may apply, whether civil or criminal, any person who violates Section 22.52 of this Act shall be liable for an additional civil penalty of up to 3 times the gross amount of any pecuniary gain resulting from the violation.

(k) In addition to any other remedy or penalty that may apply, whether civil or criminal, any person who violates subdivision (a)(7.6) of Section 31 of this Act shall be liable for an additional civil penalty of $2,000.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-603, eff. 8-24-09; 96-737, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1416, eff. 7-30-10.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.