(a) If the unified program agency determines that a person has committed, or is committing, a violation of any law, regulation, permit, information request, order, variance, or other requirement that the UPA is authorized to enforce or implement pursuant to this chapter, the UPA may issue an administrative enforcement order requiring that the violation be corrected and imposing an administrative penalty, in accordance with the following:
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (5), if the order is for a violation of Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 25100), the violator shall be subject to the applicable administrative penalties provided by that chapter.
(2) If the order is for a violation of Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 25280), the violator shall be subject to the applicable civil penalties provided in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (e) of Section 25299.
(3) If the order is for a violation of Article 1 (commencing with Section 25500) of Chapter 6.95, the violator shall be subject to a penalty that is consistent with the administrative penalties imposed pursuant to Section 25514.5.
(4) If the order is for a violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 25531) of Chapter 6.95, the violator shall be subject to a penalty that is consistent with the administrative penalties imposed pursuant to Section 25540 or 25540.5.
(5) If the order is for a violation of Section 25270.4.5, the violator shall be liable for a penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day on which the violation continues. If the violator commits a second or subsequent violation, a penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day on which the violation continues may be imposed.
(b) In establishing a penalty amount and ordering that the violation be corrected pursuant to this section, the UPA shall take into consideration the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation, the violator’s past and present efforts to prevent, abate, or clean up conditions posing a threat to the public health or safety or the environment, the violator’s ability to pay the penalty, and the deterrent effect that the imposition of the penalty would have on both the violator and the regulated community.
(c) Any order issued pursuant to this section shall be served by personal service or certified mail and shall inform the person served of the right to a hearing. If the UPA issues an order pursuant to this section, the order shall state whether the hearing procedure specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) may be requested by the person receiving the order.
(d) Any person served with an order pursuant to this section who has been unable to resolve any violation with the UPA, may within 15 days after service of the order, request a hearing pursuant to subdivision (e) by filing with the UPA a notice of defense. The notice shall be filed with the office that issued the order. A notice of defense shall be deemed filed within the 15-day period provided by this subdivision if it is postmarked within that 15-day period. If no notice of defense is filed within the time limits provided by this subdivision, the order shall become final.
(e) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2), a person requesting a hearing on an order issued by the UPA under this section may select the hearing officer specified in either paragraph (1) or (2) in the notice of defense filed with the UPA pursuant to subdivision (d). If a notice of defense is filed but no hearing officer is selected, the UPA may select the hearing officer. Within 90 days of receipt of the notice of defense by the UPA, the hearing shall be scheduled using one of the following:
(1) An administrative law judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings of the Department of General Services, who shall conduct the hearing in accordance with Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the UPA shall have all the authority granted to an agency by those provisions.
(2) (A) A hearing officer designated by the UPA, who shall conduct the hearing in accordance with Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the UPA shall have all the authority granted to an agency by those provisions. When a hearing is conducted by a UPA hearing officer pursuant to this paragraph, the UPA shall issue a decision within 60 days after the hearing is conducted. Each hearing officer designated by a UPA shall meet the requirements of Section 11425.30 of the Government Code and any other applicable restriction.
(B) A UPA, or a person requesting a hearing on an order issued by a UPA may select the hearing process specified in this paragraph in a notice of defense filed pursuant to subdivision (d) only if the UPA has, as of the date the order is issued pursuant to subdivision (c), selected a designated hearing officer and established a program for conducting a hearing in accordance with this paragraph.
(f) The hearing decision issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) shall be effective and final upon issuance by the UPA. A copy of the decision shall be served by personal service or by certified mail upon the party served with the order, or their representative, if any.
(g) Any provision of an order issued under this section, except the imposition of an administrative penalty, shall take effect upon issuance by the UPA if the UPA finds that the violation or violations of law associated with that provision may pose an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health or safety or the environment. A request for a hearing shall not stay the effect of that provision of the order pending a hearing decision. However, if the UPA determines that any or all provisions of the order are so related that the public health or safety or the environment can be protected only by immediate compliance with the order as a whole, the order as a whole, except the imposition of an administrative penalty, shall take effect upon issuance by the UPA. A request for a hearing shall not stay the effect of the order as a whole pending a hearing decision.
(h) A decision issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) may be reviewed by a court pursuant to Section 11523 of the Government Code. In all proceedings pursuant to this section, the court shall uphold the decision of the UPA if the decision is based upon substantial evidence in the record as a whole. The filing of a petition for writ of mandate shall not stay any action required pursuant to this chapter or the accrual of any penalties assessed pursuant to this chapter. This subdivision does not prohibit the court from granting any appropriate relief within its jurisdiction.
(i) All administrative penalties collected from actions brought by a UPA pursuant to this section shall be paid to the UPA that imposed the penalty, and shall be deposited into a special account that shall be expended to fund the activities of the UPA in enforcing this chapter.
(j) The UPA shall consult with the district attorney, county counsel, or city attorney on the development of policies to be followed in exercising the authority delegated pursuant to this section as it relates to the authority of the UPA to issue orders.
(k) (1) A unified program agency may suspend or revoke any unified program facility permit, or an element of a unified program facility permit, for not paying the permit fee or a fine or penalty associated with the permit in accordance with the procedures specified in this subdivision.
(2) If a permittee does not comply with a written notice from the unified program agency to the permittee to make the payments specified in paragraph (1) by the required date provided in the notice, the unified program agency may suspend or revoke the permit or permit element. If the permit or permit element is suspended or revoked, the permittee shall immediately discontinue operating that facility or function of the facility to which the permit element applies until the permit is reinstated or reissued.
(3) A permittee may request a hearing to appeal the suspension or revocation of a permit or element of a permit pursuant to this subdivision by requesting a hearing using the procedures provided in subdivision (d).
(l) This section does not do any of the following:
(1) Otherwise affect the authority of a UPA to take any other action authorized by any other provision of law, except the UPA shall not require a person to pay a penalty pursuant to this section and pursuant to a local ordinance for the same violation.
(2) Restrict the power of a city attorney, district attorney, county counsel, or the Attorney General to bring, in the name of the people of California, any criminal proceeding otherwise authorized by law.
(3) Prevent the UPA from cooperating with, or participating in, a proceeding specified in paragraph (2).
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 626, Sec. 22. Effective January 1, 2008.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018