Article 7. Cost Recovery, Enforcement, And Administration of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.75. >> Article 7.
(a) The board may recover any costs incurred and payable
from the fund pursuant to subdivisions (c), (e), (h), and (n) of
Section 25299.51 from the owner or operator of the underground
storage tank which released the petroleum and which is the subject of
those costs or from any other responsible party.
(b) The liability of an owner or operator shall be the full and
total costs specified in subdivision (a) if the owner or operator has
not complied with the requirements of Article 3 (commencing with
Section 25299.30) or has violated Section 25296.10 or any corrective
action order, directive, notification, or approval order issued
pursuant to this chapter, Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section
25280), or Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water
Code. The liability of a responsible party who is not an owner or
operator shall be the full and total costs specified in subdivision
(a).
(c) The amount of costs determined pursuant to this section shall
be recoverable in a civil action. This section does not deprive a
party of any defense the party may have.
(d) All money recovered by the board pursuant to this section
shall be deposited in the fund.
(e) The amount of the costs constitutes a lien on the affected
property upon service of a copy of the notice of lien on the owner
and upon the recordation of a notice of lien, if the notice
identifies the property on which the condition was abated, the amount
of the lien, and the owner of record of the property, in the office
of the county recorder of the county in which the property is
located. Upon recordation, the lien shall have the same force,
effect, and priority as a judgment lien, except that it attaches only
to the property posted and described in the notice of lien, and
shall continue for 10 years from the time of the recording of the
notice, unless sooner released or otherwise discharged. Not later
than 45 days from the date of receipt of a notice of lien, the owner
may petition the court for an order releasing the property from the
lien or reducing the amount of the lien. In that court action, the
governmental agency that incurred the cleanup costs shall establish
that the costs were reasonable and necessary. The lien may be
foreclosed by an action brought by the board for a money judgment.
(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c),
if a person is convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or is found to be
civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80, the executive
director of the board may permanently disqualify that person from
receiving any moneys from the fund. If the executive director of the
board determines that the disqualified person is a contractor or
consultant, a claimant shall not submit invoices to the fund for any
work performed or directed by that person.
(2) For purposes of this section, "contractor or consultant" means
a person whose professional services are engaged to perform work
that is the subject of a claim specified in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (d) of Section 25299.57.
(b) If the person convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or found to
be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80 is a claimant,
the executive director of the board may permanently disqualify the
claimant from further participation in the fund, with respect to only
the fund claims that are the subject of that conviction under
Section 25299.80.5 or that civil liability under Section 25299.78 or
25299.80, and only if the executive director makes a finding that the
alleged violation is knowing, willful, or intentional.
(c) If the person convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or found to
be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80 is a contractor
or consultant, the executive director of the board may permanently
disqualify the contractor or consultant from further participation in
the fund, including participation in corrective action for fund
claims that are not the subject of that conviction under Section
25299.80.5 or civil liability under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80,
only if the executive director makes one of the following findings:
(1) The alleged violation is knowing, willful, or intentional.
(2) The contractor or consultant received a material economic
benefit from the action that caused the violation.
(3) The alleged violation is chronic or the contractor or
consultant is a recalcitrant violator, as determined pursuant to
subdivision (g) of Section 13399 of the Water Code.
(d) In addition to the requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c),
in determining the extent to which a person, including, but not
limited to, a claimant, contractor, or consultant, convicted under
Section 25299.80.5 or found to be civilly liable under Section
25299.78 or 25299.80 may be disqualified from receiving any money
from the fund, including the extent to which the person may be
reimbursed for pending or future claims from the fund, the executive
director of the board, or the court, as the case may be, shall take
into account the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the
violation, the person's ability to pay, any prior history of
misrepresentations by the person to the board, or local agency, any
economic benefits or savings that resulted or would have resulted
from the false statement, and any other matters as justice may
require.
Upon motion and sufficient showing by any party, the
court shall join to the action any person who may be liable for costs
or expenditures of the type recoverable pursuant to this article.
The standard of liability for any costs of corrective
action recoverable pursuant to this chapter is strict liability.
(a) No indemnification, hold harmless, conveyance, or
similar agreement shall be effective to preclude any liability for
costs recoverable under this article. This section does not bar any
agreement to insure, hold harmless, or indemnify a party to the
agreement for any costs under this chapter.
(b) The entry of judgment against any party to the action does not
bar any future action by the fund against any person who is later
discovered to be potentially liable for costs paid from the fund.
(c) Payment of any claim by the fund pursuant to this chapter
shall be subject to the state acquiring by subrogation the rights of
the claimant to recover those costs of corrective action for which it
has compensated the claimant from the person responsible or liable
for the unauthorized release.
(a) Except as provided in Sections 25299.70, 25299.72,
and 25299.73, this chapter does not affect or modify the obligations
or liability of any person under any other provision of state or
federal law, including common law, for damages, injury, or loss
resulting from an unauthorized release of petroleum or for corrective
action or the costs of corrective action.
(b) This chapter shall not be construed as authorizing recovery
for costs of corrective action resulting from any release authorized
or permitted pursuant to state or federal law.
(a) Any person who violates any requirement of Article 3
(commencing with Section 25299.30) or Article 4 (commencing with
Section 25299.36) is liable for a civil penalty of not more than ten
thousand dollars ($10,000) for each underground storage tank for each
day of violation.
(b) The state or a local agency may bring an action in superior
court to impose the civil penalty specified in subdivision (a).
(c) The board or a regional board may impose the civil penalty
specified in subdivision (a) pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with
Section 13323) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of the Water Code.
(d) In determining the amount of any liability imposed under this
section, the superior court, the board, or the regional board shall
take into account the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of
the violation, and, with respect to the violator, the ability to pay,
any prior history of violations, the degree of culpability, the
economic benefits or savings, if any, resulting from the violations,
and other matters as justice may require.
(e) Remedies under this section are in addition to, and do not
supersede or limit, any other civil or criminal remedies, except that
no civil penalties shall be recovered under this section for
violations for which a civil penalty is recovered pursuant to Section
13268 or 13350 of the Water Code.
(a) The board shall adopt regulations to implement this
chapter. In adopting these regulations, the board shall ensure that
the regulations are consistent with this chapter, Chapter 6.7
(commencing with Section 25280), and the requirements for state
programs implementing the federal act.
(b) The adoption of any regulations pursuant to this section that
are filed with the Office of Administrative Law on or before January
1, 1995, shall be deemed to be an emergency necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, and
general welfare. Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code,
any emergency regulation adopted by the board pursuant to this
subdivision shall not be repealed by the Office of Administrative
Law, and shall remain in effect until revised by the board.
(a) To carry out the purposes of this chapter, any
authorized representative of the local agency, regional board, or
board shall have the authority specified in Section 25185, with
respect to any place where underground storage tanks are located, and
in Section 25185.5, with respect to any real property which is
within 2,000 feet of any place where underground storage tanks are
located.
(b) An owner or operator shall furnish, under penalty of perjury,
any information on fees imposed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing
with Section 25299.40), financial responsibility, unauthorized
releases, or corrective action as the local agency, regional board,
or board may require.
(c) A person who fails or refuses to furnish information under
subdivision (b) or furnishes false information to the fund is
subject, in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (d), to
civil liability of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for
each violation of this subdivision.
(d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2), a claimant shall
not be liable under subdivision (c) unless one of the following is
established by the court, if the action is brought pursuant to
subdivision (e), or the executive director, if the action is brought
pursuant to subdivision (f):
(A) The alleged violation is knowing, willful, or intentional.
(B) The claimant received a material economic benefit from the
action which caused the alleged violation.
(C) The alleged violation is chronic or that the claimant is a
recalcitrant violator, as determined pursuant to subdivision (g) of
Section 13399 of the Water Code.
(2) If a claimant is in violation of subdivision (c), but does not
meet any of the conditions specified in paragraph (1), the claimant
may be held liable only if the board or an authorized representative
of the board issues a notice to comply pursuant to Chapter 5.8
(commencing with Section 13399) of Division 7 of the Water Code
before an action is taken pursuant to subdivision (e) or (f).
(e) The Attorney General, upon request of the board, shall bring
an action in superior court to impose the civil liability specified
in subdivision (c).
(f) The executive director of the board may impose the civil
liability specified in subdivision (c) administratively in the same
manner as the executive director of the board is authorized to impose
civil liability pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section
13323) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of the Water Code.
(g) In determining the amount of any civil liability imposed under
this section, the executive director of the board, or the court, as
the case may be, shall take into account the nature, circumstances,
extent, and gravity of the false statement or refusal or failure to
furnish information, the person's ability to pay, any prior history
by the person of misrepresentations to or noncooperation with the
board or local agency, any economic benefits or savings that resulted
or would have resulted from the false statement or refusal or
failure to furnish information, and other matters as justice may
require.
(h) Remedies under this section are in addition to, and do not
supersede or limit, any other civil, administrative, or criminal
remedies.
(i) All funds collected pursuant to this section shall be
deposited into the fund.
The costs specified in subdivision (d) of Section
25299.51 are not recoverable pursuant to this article.
(a) A person who makes a misrepresentation in any claim,
including, but not limited to, a record, report, certification,
application, invoice, form, or other document that is submitted to
the fund relating to a claim, is subject to civil liability of not
more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for each violation
of this subdivision.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the Attorney General,
upon request of the state board, shall bring an action in superior
court to impose the civil liability specified in subdivision (a).
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the executive director
of the board may impose the civil liability specified in subdivision
(a) administratively in the same manner as the executive director of
the board is authorized to impose civil liability pursuant to Article
2.5 (commencing with Section 13323) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of
the Water Code.
(d) If the violation by a claimant of subdivision (a) is not
knowing, willful, or intentional, the board or an authorized
representative shall first issue a notice to comply pursuant to
Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 13399) of Division 7 of the
Water Code before an action may be taken pursuant to subdivision (b)
or (c).
(e) In determining the amount of civil liability imposed under
this section, the executive director of the board, or the court, as
the case may be, shall take into account the nature, circumstance,
extent, and gravity of the violation, the person's ability to pay,
any prior history of misrepresentations by the person to the board or
local agency, any economic benefits or savings that resulted or
would have resulted from the false statement, and other matters as
justice may require.
(f) Remedies under this section are in addition to, and do not
supersede or limit, any other civil, administrative, or criminal
remedies.
(g) All money collected pursuant to this section shall be
deposited into the fund.
(h) The board shall file a complaint with any applicable licensing
board against any person licensed or otherwise regulated by that
licensing board who is found to be liable under this section.
(a) A person who knowingly makes or causes to be made
any false statement, material misrepresentation, or false
certification in support of any claim under this chapter, including,
but not limited to, in an application, record, report, certification,
plan, invoice, form, or other document that is submitted, filed, or
required to be maintained under this chapter for purposes of a claim,
shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than ten
thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for
not more than one year, or in the state prison for 16 months, two
years, or three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) The Attorney General, upon request of the board, may bring an
action in superior court to impose the criminal penalty specified in
subdivision (a).
(c) Remedies under this section are in addition to, and do not
supersede or limit, any other civil or criminal remedies.
(d) All funds collected pursuant to this section shall be
deposited into the fund.
(e) The board shall file a complaint with any applicable licensing
board against any person licensed or otherwise regulated by that
licensing board who is convicted under this section.
An action by the executive director to impose civil
liability under this chapter is subject to review by the board in the
same manner as provided for the review by the State Water Resources
Control Board of actions of a regional board under Section 13320 of
the Water Code.