(a) A person who makes a false statement or representation in an application, label, manifest, record, report, permit, or other document filed, maintained, or used for purposes of compliance with this chapter, is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) for each separate violation or, for continuing violations, for each day that the violation continues.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c) or (d), a person who violates a provision of this chapter or a permit, rule, regulation, standard, or requirement issued or adopted pursuant to this chapter, is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) for each violation of a separate provision or, for continuing violations, for each day that the violation continues.
(c) A person who disposes, or causes the disposal of, a hazardous or extremely hazardous waste at a point that is not authorized according to the provisions of this chapter is liable for a civil penalty of not more than seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) for each violation and may be ordered to disclose the fact of this violation or these violations to those persons as the court or, in the case of an administrative action, a hearing officer, may direct. Each day on which the deposit remains is a separate additional violation, unless the person immediately files a report of the deposit with the department and is complying with an order concerning the deposit issued by the department, a hearing officer, or a court of competent jurisdiction for the cleanup.
(d) A person who treats or stores, or causes the treatment or storage of, a hazardous waste at a point that is not authorized according to this chapter, shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) for each separate violation or, for continuing violations, for each day that the violation continues.
(e) For purposes of subdivisions (c) and (d), a person who offers hazardous waste to a transporter that is registered pursuant to Section 25163 or to a storage, treatment, transfer, resource recovery, or disposal facility that holds a valid hazardous waste facilities permit or other grant of authorization from the department that authorizes the facility to accept the waste being offered shall not be considered to have caused disposal, treatment, or storage of hazardous waste at an unauthorized point solely on the basis of having offered that person’s waste, provided the person has taken reasonable steps to determine that the transporter is registered or the facility is authorized by the department to accept the hazardous waste being offered.
(f) A person shall not be liable for a civil penalty imposed under this section and for a civil penalty imposed under Section 25189 for the same act or failure to act.
(g) Liability under this section may be imposed in a civil action or liability may be imposed administratively pursuant to Section 25187.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 499, Sec. 3. (AB 245) Effective January 1, 2018.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018