1.    Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, or any rule, regulation, or order of the commission is subject to a civil penalty to be imposed by the commission not to exceed twelve thousand five hundred dollars for each offense, and each day’s violation is a separate offense, unless the penalty for the violation is otherwise specifically provided for and made exclusive in this chapter. Any such civil penalty may be compromised by the commission. All amounts paid as civil penalties must be deposited in the abandoned oil and gas well plugging and site reclamation fund. The penalties provided in this section, if not paid, are recoverable by suit filed by the attorney general in the name and on behalf of the commission, in the district court of the county in which the defendant resides, or in which any defendant resides, if there be more than one defendant, or in the district court of any county in which the violation occurred. The payment of the penalty may not operate to legalize any illegal oil, illegal gas, or illegal product involved in the violation for which the penalty is imposed, or to relieve a person on whom the penalty is imposed from liability to any other person for damages arising out of the violation.

Attorney's Note

Under the North Dakota Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see § 12.1-32-01

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 38-08-16

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Rule: includes regulation. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

2.    Notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this section, a person who willfully violates any provision of this chapter, or any rule or order of the commission that pertains to the prevention or control of pollution or waste is guilty of a class C felony unless the penalty for the violation is otherwise specifically provided for and made exclusive in this chapter. The criminal penalty provided for in this subsection may only be imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction.