5650.1
. (a) Every person who violates Section 5650 is subject to a
civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)
for each violation.
(b) The civil penalty imposed for each separate violation pursuant
to this section is separate, and in addition to, any other civil
penalty imposed for a separate violation pursuant to this section or
any other provision of law.
(c) In determining the amount of any civil penalty imposed
pursuant to this section, the court shall take into consideration all
relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the nature,
circumstance, extent, and gravity of the violation. In making this
determination, the court shall consider the degree of toxicity and
volume of the discharge, the extent of harm caused by the violation,
whether the effects of the violation may be reversed or mitigated,
and with respect to the defendant, the ability to pay, the effect of
any civil penalty on the ability to continue in business, any
voluntary cleanup efforts undertaken, any prior history of
violations, the gravity of the behavior, the economic benefit, if
any, resulting from the violation, and any other matters the court
determines justice may require.
(d) Every civil action brought under this section shall be brought
by the Attorney General upon complaint by the department, or by the
district attorney or city attorney in the name of the people of the
State of California, and any actions relating to the same violation
may be joined or consolidated.
(e) In any civil action brought pursuant to this chapter in which
a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent
injunction is sought, it is not necessary to allege or prove at any
stage of the proceeding that irreparable damage will occur if the
temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent
injunction is not issued, or that the remedy at law is inadequate.
(f) After the party seeking the injunction has met its burden of
proof, the court shall determine whether to issue a temporary
restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction
without requiring the defendant to prove that it will suffer grave or
irreparable harm. The court shall make the determination whether to
issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or
permanent injunction by taking into consideration, among other
things, the nature, circumstance, extent, and gravity of the
violation, the quantity and characteristics of the substance or
material involved, the extent of environmental harm caused by the
violation, measures taken by the defendant to remedy the violation,
the relative likelihood that the material or substance involved may
pass into waters of the state, and the harm likely to be caused to
the defendant.
(g) The court, to the maximum extent possible, shall tailor any
temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent
injunction narrowly to address the violation in a manner that will
otherwise allow the defendant to continue business operations in a
lawful manner.
(h) All civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall
not be considered fines or forfeitures as defined in Section 13003
and shall be apportioned in the following manner:
(1) Fifty percent shall be distributed to the county treasurer of
the county in which the action is prosecuted. Amounts paid to the
county treasurer shall be deposited in the county fish and wildlife
propagation fund established pursuant to Section 13100.
(2) Fifty percent shall be distributed to the department for
deposit in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. These funds may be
expended to cover the costs of legal actions or for any other law
enforcement purpose consistent with Section 9 of Article XVI of the
California Constitution.