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Civil remedies - 27 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3134Legal Research Home > Pennsylvania Statutes
§ 3134. Civil remedies.
(a) Abatement of nuisances.--An activity or condition
declared to be a public nuisance under section 3132 (relating to
public nuisance) shall be restrained or prevented in the manner
provided by law or equity for abatement of public nuisances, and
the reasonable expense thereof may be recovered from the
violator.
(b) Civil remedies.--The department may bring an action in
any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain and abate the
violation of this chapter or any regulation issued under this
chapter. Any other provision of law to the contrary
notwithstanding, the courts of common pleas and Commonwealth
Court shall have jurisdiction of such actions, and venue in such
actions shall be set forth in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil
Procedure concerning actions in assumpsit.
(c) Civil penalties.--In addition to proceeding under any
other remedy available under this chapter for the violation of
any provision of this chapter or any regulation or order issued
under this chapter, the department may assess a civil penalty
upon a person for such violation. The maximum civil penalty that
may be assessed is $1,000 per day for each violation. Each
violation of any provision of this chapter and each violation
for each separate day shall constitute a separate and distinct
offense. The civil penalty may be assessed whether or not the
violation was willful or negligent. In determining the amount of
a civil penalty, the department shall consider the degree of
willfulness and duration of the violation, savings resulting to
the person as the result of the violation, the damage to water
resources of this Commonwealth resulting from the violation and
other relevant factors. When the department proposes to assess a
civil penalty, it shall inform the person of the proposed amount
of such penalty. The person charged with the civil penalty shall
then have 30 days to pay the proposed penalty in full or, if the
person wishes to contest either the amount of the penalty or the
fact of the violation, the person shall within the 30-day period
file an appeal of the action with the Environmental Hearing
Board. Failure to appeal within the 30-day period shall result
in a waiver of all legal rights to contest the violation and the
amount of the civil penalty.
(d) Remedies to be concurrent.--The remedies prescribed in
this chapter shall be deemed concurrent, and the existence or
exercise of any remedy shall not prevent the department from
exercising any other remedy under this chapter, at law or in
equity.
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Last modified: November 27, 2007 |