Public Act 0603 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4021 Enrolled LRB096 03352 JDS 13373 b

Public Act 096-0603

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 15, 25d-1, 25d-2, 25d-3, 42, and 44 and by adding Section 18.1 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/15) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1015)

Sec. 15. Plans and specifications; demonstration of capability; record retention.

(a) Owners of public water supplies, their authorized representative, or legal custodians, shall submit plans and specifications to the Agency and obtain written approval before construction of any proposed public water supply installations, changes, or additions is started. Plans and specifications shall be complete and of sufficient detail to show all proposed construction, changes, or additions that may affect sanitary quality, mineral quality, or adequacy of the public water supply; and, where necessary, said plans and specifications shall be accompanied by supplemental data as may be required by the Agency to permit a complete review thereof.

(b) All new public water supplies established after October 1, 1999 shall demonstrate technical, financial, and managerial capacity as a condition for issuance of a construction or operation permit by the Agency or its designee. The demonstration shall be consistent with the technical, financial, and managerial provisions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), as now or hereafter amended. The Agency is authorized to adopt rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to implement the purposes of this subsection. Such rules must take into account the need for the facility, facility size, sophistication of treatment of the water supply, and financial requirements needed for operation of the facility.

(c) Except as otherwise provided under Board rules, owners and operators of community water systems must maintain all records, reports, and other documents related to the operation of the community water system for a minimum of 10 years. Documents required to be maintained under this subsection (c) include, but are not limited to, all billing records and other documents related to the purchase of water from other community water systems. Documents required to be maintained under this subsection (c) must be maintained on the premises of the community water system, or at a convenient location near its premises, and must be made available to the Agency for inspection and copying during normal business hours.

(Source: P.A. 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)

(415 ILCS 5/18.1 new)

Sec. 18.1. Public Notice.

(a) If any of the actions listed in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (a) occur in relation to the ownership or operation of a community water system, the Agency shall, within 2 days after the action, provide public notice of the action by issuing a press release and posting the press release on the Agency's website:

(1) The Agency refers a matter for enforcement under Section 43 of this Act.

(2) The Agency issues a seal order under subsection (a) of Section 34 of this Act.

(b) Within 5 days after the occurrence of any action that is listed in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this Section and that is related to the ownership or operation of a community water system, the Agency must provide notice of the action to the owner and the operator of the community water system and the owners and operators of all connected community water systems. The notice must be printed on Agency letterhead and describe the action being taken and the basis for the action. Within 5 business days after receiving such notice from the Agency under this subsection (b), the owner or operator of the community water system and the owners or operators of all connected community water systems must send, to all residents and owners of premises connected to the affected community water system or portion thereof designated by the Agency: (i) a copy of the notice by first-class mail or by e-mail; or (ii) notification, in a form approved by the Agency, via first-class postcard, text message, or telephone; except that notices to institutional residents, including, but not limited to, residents of school dormitories, nursing homes, and assisted care facilities, may be made to the owners and operators of those institutions, and the owners or operators of those institutions shall notify their residents in the same manner as prescribed in this subsection for owners and operators of community water systems. If the manner for notice selected by the owner or operator of the community water system does not include a written copy of the notice provided by the Agency, the owner or operator shall include a written copy of the notice provided by the Agency in the next water bill sent to the residents and owners of the premises; provided, however, if the water bill is sent on a postcard, no written copy of the notice provided by the Agency is required if the postcard includes the Internet address for the notice posted on the Agency's website. The front of the envelope or postcard in which any such notice is sent to residents and owners of premises connected to the community water system shall carry the following text in at least 18 point font: PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE - READ IMMEDIATELY. For a postcard, text message, or telephonic communication, the Agency shall specify the minimum information that the owner or operator must include in such methods of notice. Within 7 days after the owner or operator of the community water system sends the notices to all residents and owners of premises connected to the affected community water system, the owner or operator shall provide the Agency with proof that the notices have been sent.

(415 ILCS 5/25d-1)

Sec. 25d-1. Definitions. For the purposes of this Title, the terms "community water system", "non-community water system", "potable", "private water system", and "semi-private water system" have the meanings ascribed to them in the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act. For the purposes of this Title, the term "soil gas" means the air existing in void spaces in the soil between the groundwater table and the ground surface.

(Source: P.A. 94-314, eff. 7-25-05.)

(415 ILCS 5/25d-2)

Sec. 25d-2. Contaminant evaluation. The Agency shall evaluate releases of contaminants whenever it determines that the extent of soil, soil gas, or groundwater contamination may extend beyond the boundary of the site where the release occurred. The Agency shall take appropriate actions in response to the release, which may include, but shall not be limited to, public notices, investigations, administrative orders under Sections 22.2d or 57.12(d) of this Act, and enforcement referrals. Except as provided in Section 25d-3 of this Act, for releases undergoing investigation or remediation under Agency oversight the Agency may determine that no further action is necessary to comply with this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-314, eff. 7-25-05.)

(415 ILCS 5/25d-3)

Sec. 25d-3. Notices.

(a) Beginning January 1, 2006, if the Agency determines that:

(1) Soil contamination beyond the boundary of the site where the release occurred, soil gas contamination beyond the boundary of the site where the release occurred, or both pose poses a threat of exposure to the public above the appropriate Tier 1 remediation objectives, based on the current use of the off-site property, adopted by the Board under Title XVII of this Act, the Agency shall give notice of the threat to the owner of the contaminated property; or

(2) Groundwater contamination poses a threat of exposure to the public above the Class I groundwater quality standards adopted by the Board under this Act and the Groundwater Protection Act, the Agency shall give notice of the threat to the following:

(A) for any private, semi-private, or non-community water system, the owners of the properties served by the system; and

(B) for any community water system,

(i) the owners and operators of the system; and

(ii) the residents and owners of premises connected to the affected community water system; and

(iii) the residents and owners of premises connected to water systems receiving water from the affected community water system. The Agency's determination must be based on the credible, scientific information available to it, and the Agency is not required to perform additional investigations or studies beyond those required by applicable federal or State laws.

For notices required under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a), the Agency shall (i) within 2 days after determining that groundwater contamination poses a threat of exposure to the public above the Class I groundwater quality standards, provide notice of the determination by issuing a press release and posting the press release on the Agency's website and (ii) within 5 days after the determination, provide the owner and operator of the community water system and the owners and operators of all connected community water systems with a notice printed on Agency letterhead that identifies the contaminant posing the threat, the level of contamination found, and possible human health effects associated with exposure to the contaminant. Within 5 business days after receiving a notice from the Agency under this paragraph, the owner or operator of the community water system must send, to all residents and owners of premises connected to the affected community water system: (i) a copy of the notice by first-class mail or by e-mail; or (ii) notification, in a form approved by the Agency, via first-class postcard, text message, or telephone; except that notices to institutional residents, including, but not limited to, residents of school dormitories, nursing homes, and assisted care facilities, may be made to the owners and operators of those institutions, and the owner or operator of those institutions shall notify their residents in the same manner as prescribed in this subsection for owners and operators of community water systems. If the manner for notice selected by the owner or operator of the community water system does not include a written copy of the notice provided by the Agency, the owner or operator shall include a written copy of the notice provided by the Agency in the next water bill sent to the residents and owners of the premises; provided, however, if the water bill is sent on a postcard, no written copy of the notice provided by the Agency is required if the postcard includes the Internet address for the notice posted on the Agency's website. The front of the envelope or postcard in which any such notice is sent to residents and owners of premises connected to the affected community water system shall carry the following text in at least 18 point font: PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE - READ IMMEDIATELY. For a postcard, text message, or telephonic communication, the Agency shall specify the minimum information that the owner or operator must include in such methods of notice. Within 7 days after the owner or operator of the community water system sends the notices to residents and owners of premises connected to the community water system, the owner or operator shall provide the Agency with proof that the notices have been sent. The notices required under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall be provided whether or not the threat of exposure has been eliminated.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2006, if any of the following actions occur: (i) the Agency refers a matter for enforcement under Section 43(a) of this Act; (ii) the Agency issues a seal order under Section 34 of this Act; or (iii) the Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), or a third party under Agency or USEPA oversight performs an immediate removal under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, then, within 60 days after the action, the Agency must give notice of the action to the owners of all property within 2,500 feet of the subject contamination or any closer or farther distance that the Agency deems appropriate under the circumstances. Within 30 days after a request by the Agency, the appropriate officials of the county in which the property is located must provide to the Agency the names and addresses of all property owners to whom the Agency is required to give notice under this subsection (b), these owners being the persons or entities that appear from the authentic tax records of the county.

(c) In addition to the notice requirements of subsection (a) of this Section, the The methods by which the Agency gives the notices required under this Section shall be determined in consultation with members of the public and appropriate members of the regulated community and may include, but shall not be limited to, personal notification, public meetings, signs, electronic notification, and print media. For sites at which a responsible party has implemented a community relations plan, the Agency may allow the responsible party to provide Agency-approved notices in lieu of the notices required to be given by the Agency. Notices issued under this Section may contain the following information:

(1) the name and address of the site or facility where the release occurred or is suspected to have occurred;

(2) the identification of the contaminant released or suspected to have been released;

(3) information as to whether the contaminant was released or suspected to have been released into the air, land, or water;

(4) a brief description of the potential adverse health effects posed by the contaminant;

(5) a recommendation that water systems with wells impacted or potentially impacted by the contaminant be appropriately tested; and

(6) the name, business address, and phone number of persons at the Agency from whom additional information about the release or suspected release can be obtained.

(d) Any person who is a responsible party with respect to the release or substantial threat of release for which notice is given under this Section is liable for all reasonable costs incurred by the State in giving the notice. All moneys received by the State under this subsection (d) for costs related to releases and substantial threats of releases of hazardous substances, pesticides, and petroleum other than releases and substantial threats of releases of petroleum from underground storage tanks subject to Title XVI of this Act must be deposited in and used for purposes consistent with the Hazardous Waste Fund. All moneys received by the State under this subsection (d) for costs related to releases and substantial threats of releases of petroleum from underground storage tanks subject to Title XVI of this Act must be deposited in and used for purposes consistent with the Underground Storage Tank Fund.

(Source: P.A. 94-314, eff. 7-25-05; 95-454, eff. 8-27-07.)

(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 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 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.

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 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.

(Source: P.A. 94-272, eff. 7-19-05; 94-580, eff. 8-12-05; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

(415 ILCS 5/44) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1044)

Sec. 44. Criminal acts; penalties.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, it shall be a Class A misdemeanor to violate this Act or regulations thereunder, or any permit or term or condition thereof, or knowingly to submit any false information under this Act or regulations adopted thereunder, or under any permit or term or condition thereof. A court may, in addition to any other penalty herein imposed, order a person convicted of any violation of this Act to perform community service for not less than 100 hours and not more than 300 hours if community service is available in the jurisdiction. It shall be the duty of all State and local law-enforcement officers to enforce such Act and regulations, and all such officers shall have authority to issue citations for such violations.

(b) Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when, without lawful justification, he knowingly disposes of hazardous waste while knowing that he thereby places another person in danger of great bodily harm or creates an immediate or long-term danger to the public health or the environment.

(2) Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 2 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $500,000 for each day of such offense.

(c) Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when, without lawful justification, he knowingly disposes of hazardous waste.

(2) Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 3 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each day of such offense.

(d) Unauthorized Use of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Unauthorized Use of Hazardous Waste when he, being required to have a permit, registration, or license under this Act or any other law regulating the treatment, transportation, or storage of hazardous waste, knowingly:

(A) treats, transports, or stores any hazardous waste without such permit, registration, or license;

(B) treats, transports, or stores any hazardous waste in violation of the terms and conditions of such permit or license;

(C) transports any hazardous waste to a facility which does not have a permit or license required under this Act; or

(D) transports by vehicle any hazardous waste without having in each vehicle credentials issued to the transporter by the transporter's base state pursuant to procedures established under the Uniform Program.

(2) A person who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1)(A), (1)(B) or (1)(C) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 4 felony. A person who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1)(D) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of violating subdivision (1)(A), (1)(B) or (1)(C) is subject to a fine not to exceed $100,000 for each day of such violation, and a person who is convicted of violating subdivision (1)(D) is subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000.

(e) Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste.

(1) Except as authorized by this Act or the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, it is unlawful for any person to knowingly deliver hazardous waste.

(2) Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste is a Class 3 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each such violation.

(3) For purposes of this Section, "deliver" or "delivery" means the actual, constructive, or attempted transfer of possession of hazardous waste, with or without consideration, whether or not there is an agency relationship.

(f) Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste if he disposes of hazardous waste, and his acts which cause the hazardous waste to be disposed of, whether or not those acts are undertaken pursuant to or under color of any permit or license, are performed with a conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such disposing of hazardous waste is a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.

(2) Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 4 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such offense.

(g) Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when he conceals, without lawful justification, the disposal of hazardous waste with the knowledge that such hazardous waste has been disposed of in violation of this Act.

(2) Concealment of Criminal Disposal of a Hazardous Waste is a Class 4 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such offense.

(h) Violations; False Statements.

(1) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement in an application for a permit or license required by this Act to treat, transport, store, or dispose of hazardous waste commits the offense of perjury and shall be subject to the penalties set forth in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961.

(2) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement or representation in any label, manifest, record, report, permit or license, or other document filed, maintained or used for the purpose of compliance with this Act in connection with the generation, disposal, treatment, storage, or transportation of hazardous waste commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(3) Any person who knowingly destroys, alters or conceals any record required to be made by this Act in connection with the disposal, treatment, storage, or transportation of hazardous waste, commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after a conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(4) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement or representation in any application, bill, invoice, or other document filed, maintained, or used for the purpose of receiving money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(5) Any person who knowingly destroys, alters, or conceals any record required to be made or maintained by this Act or required to be made or maintained by Board or Agency rules for the purpose of receiving money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after a conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(6) A person who knowingly and falsely certifies under Section 22.48 that an industrial process waste or pollution control waste is not special waste commits a Class 4 felony for a first offense and commits a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense.

(7) In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of violating this subsection (h) is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such violation.

(8) Any person who knowingly makes a false, fictitious, or fraudulent material statement, orally or in writing, to the Agency, or to a unit of local government to which the Agency has delegated authority under subsection (r) of Section 4 of this Act, related to or required by this Act, a regulation adopted under this Act, any federal law or regulation for which the Agency has responsibility, or any permit, term, or condition thereof, commits a Class 4 felony, and each such statement or writing shall be considered a separate Class 4 felony. A person who, after being convicted under this paragraph (8), violates this paragraph (8) a second or subsequent time, commits a Class 3 felony.

(i) Verification.

(1) Each application for a permit or license to dispose of, transport, treat, store or generate hazardous waste under this Act shall contain an affirmation that the facts are true and are made under penalty of perjury as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961. It is perjury for a person to sign any such application for a permit or license which contains a false material statement, which he does not believe to be true.

(2) Each request for money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall contain an affirmation that the facts are true and are made under penalty of perjury as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961. It is perjury for a person to sign any request that contains a false material statement that he does not believe to be true.

(j) Violations of Other Provisions.

(1) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to violate:

(A) subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(B) subsection (g) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) any term or condition of any Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit;

(D) any filing requirement, regulation, or order relating to the State Underground Injection Control (UIC) program;

(E) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 13 of this Act;

(F) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 39 of this Act;

(G) any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued under this Act or any term or condition of such permit;

(H) subsection (h) of Section 12 of this Act;

(I) subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act;

(J) any provision of any regulation, standard or filing requirement under Section 39.5 of this Act;

(K) a provision of the Procedures for Asbestos Emission Control in subsection (c) of Section 61.145 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations; or

(L) the standard for waste disposal for manufacturing, fabricating, demolition, renovation, and spraying operations in Section 61.150 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(2) A person convicted of a violation of subdivision (1) of this subsection commits a Class 4 felony, and in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law is subject to a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each day of such violation.

(3) A person who negligently violates the following shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each day of such violation:

(A) subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(B) subsection (g) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 13 of this Act;

(D) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 39 of this Act;

(E) any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued under this Act;

(F) subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act; or

(G) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under Section 39.5 of this Act.

(4) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to:

(A) make any false statement, representation, or certification in an application form, or form pertaining to, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit;

(B) render inaccurate any monitoring device or record required by the Agency or Board in connection with any such permit or with any discharge which is subject to the provisions of subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) make any false statement, representation, or certification in any form, notice or report pertaining to a CAAPP permit under Section 39.5 of this Act;

(D) render inaccurate any monitoring device or record required by the Agency or Board in connection with any CAAPP permit or with any emission which is subject to the provisions of Section 39.5 of this Act; or

(E) violate subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act or any CAAPP permit, or term or condition thereof, or any fee or filing requirement.

(5) A person convicted of a violation of subdivision (4) of this subsection commits a Class A misdemeanor, and in addition to any other penalties provided by law is subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each day of violation.

(k) Criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator.

(1) A person commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator when, in the course of operating a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator, he knowingly and without justification operates the incinerator (i) without an Agency permit, or in knowing violation of the terms of an Agency permit, and (ii) as a result of such violation, knowingly places any person in danger of great bodily harm or knowingly creates an immediate or long term material danger to the public health or the environment.

(2) Any person who commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator for the first time commits a Class 4 felony and, in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $100,000 for each day of the offense.

Any person who commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator for a second or subsequent time commits a Class 3 felony and, in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each day of the offense.

(3) For the purpose of this subsection (k), the term "hazardous waste or PCB incinerator" means a pollution control facility at which either hazardous waste or PCBs, or both, are incinerated. "PCBs" means any substance or mixture of substances that contains one or more polychlorinated biphenyls in detectable amounts.

(l) It shall be the duty of all State and local law enforcement officers to enforce this Act and the regulations adopted hereunder, and all such officers shall have authority to issue citations for such violations.

(m) Any action brought under this Section shall be brought by the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or by the Attorney General, and shall be conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.

(n) For an offense described in this Section, the period for commencing prosecution prescribed by the statute of limitations shall not begin to run until the offense is discovered by or reported to a State or local agency having the authority to investigate violations of this Act.

(o) In addition to any other penalties provided under this Act, if a person is convicted of (or agrees to a settlement in an enforcement action over) illegal dumping of waste on the person's own property, the Attorney General, the Agency or local prosecuting authority shall file notice of the conviction, finding or agreement in the office of the Recorder in the county in which the landowner lives.

(p) Criminal Disposal of Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Criminal Disposal of Waste when he or she:

(A) if required to have a permit under subsection (d) of Section 21 of this Act, knowingly conducts a waste-storage, waste-treatment, or waste-disposal operation in a quantity that exceeds 250 cubic feet of waste without a permit; or

(B) knowingly conducts open dumping of waste in violation of subsection (a) of Section 21 of this Act.

(2) (A) A person who is convicted of a violation of item (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first offense and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each day of violation. A person who is convicted of a violation of item (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of violation.

(B) A person who is convicted of a violation of item (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. However, a person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of item (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection for the open dumping of waste in a quantity that exceeds 250 cubic feet is guilty of a Class 4 felony and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each day of violation.

(Source: P.A. 94-286, eff. 7-21-05.)

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