Texas Water Code § 5.117 Mandatory Enforcement Hearing

Sec. 5.117. MANDATORY ENFORCEMENT HEARING. (a) The executive director shall monitor compliance with all permits and licenses issued by the commission under this code, and if the evidence available to the executive director through this monitoring process indicates that a permittee or licensee is in substantial noncompliance with his permit or license for a period of four months, or for a shorter period of time if the executive director considers an emergency to exist, the executive director shall report this fact to the commission together with the information relating to the noncompliance.

(b) On receiving a report from the executive director under Subsection (a) of this section, the commission shall call and hold a hearing to determine whether the permittee or licensee who is the subject of the executive director's report has been in substantial noncompliance with his permit or license.

(c) At the conclusion of the hearing, the commission shall issue one of the following orders stating that:

(1) no violation of the permit or license has occurred;

(2) a violation of the permit or license has occurred but has been corrected and no further action is necessary to protect the public interest;

(3) the executive director is authorized to enter into a compliance agreement with the permittee or licensee;

(4) a violation of the permit or license has occurred and an administrative penalty is assessed as provided by this code; or

(5) a violation of the permit or license has occurred, and the executive director is directed to have enforcement proceedings instituted against the permittee or licensee.

(d) A compliance agreement under Subsection (c)(3) of this section is not effective unless it is approved by the commission. If the commission determines at a hearing that a permittee or licensee has not complied with the terms of the compliance agreement, the commission may direct the executive director to institute enforcement proceedings.

(e) The executive director, on receiving an order from the commission directing institution of enforcement proceedings, shall take all necessary steps to have enforcement proceedings instituted.

(f) The commission may compel the attendance of the governing body or any other officer of any permittee or licensee at any hearing held under this section.

Amended by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 1.001, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 3, Sec. 1.011, eff. Aug. 12, 1991.

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Last modified: September 28, 2016