(a) An owner or operator of a tank facility who fails to prepare a spill prevention control and countermeasure plan in compliance with subdivision (a) of Section 25270.4.5, to file a tank facility statement pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25270.6, to submit the fee required by subdivision (b) of Section 25270.6, or to report spills as required by Section 25270.8, or who otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter, is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day on which the violation continues. If the owner or operator commits a second or subsequent violation, a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day on which the violation continues may be imposed.

(b) (1) The civil penalties provided by this section may be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the city attorney, county counsel, or district attorney on behalf of the UPA.

Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 25270.12

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
  • 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 any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23

(2) Fifty percent of all penalties assessed and recovered in a civil action brought on behalf of a UPA pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited into a unified program account established by the UPA for the purpose of carrying out the functions of the unified program and 50 percent shall be paid to the office of the city attorney, county counsel, or district attorney, whoever brought that action.

(c) (1) The civil penalties provided in this section may be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the Attorney General on behalf of the office, the board, or a regional board, or on behalf of the people of the State of California.

(2) All penalties assessed and recovered in a civil action brought pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in the Waste Discharge Permit Fund created pursuant to § 13260 of the Water Code. These moneys shall be separately accounted for, and shall be expended by the board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to assist regional boards and other public agencies with authority to clean up waste or abate the effects of the waste, in cleaning up or abating the effects of the waste on waters of the state, or for the same purposes for which the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account may be expended pursuant to § 13443 of the Water Code.

(d) The city attorney, county counsel, district attorney, or the Attorney General may seek to enjoin, in any court of competent jurisdiction, any person believed to be in violation of this chapter.

(e) If a county counsel or the district attorney brings an action pursuant to this section, the county counsel or the district attorney shall, within seven days of the filing of the action, notify the district attorney or county counsel, as applicable, of the county in which the violation occurs or occurred.

(f) The penalties specified in this section are in addition to any other penalties provided by law.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 154, Sec. 6. (SB 642) Effective January 1, 2024.)

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