25404.1.1
. (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).