Source: http://www.ussc.gov/guidelines/2015-guidelines-manual/archive/2006-2q12
Timestamp: 2016-08-24 08:31:33
Document Index: 548302370

Matched Legal Cases: ['§2', '§ 5124', '§\n46312', '§ 136', '§ 2614', '§ 1319', '§ 300', '§ 1350', '§ 5124', '§ 1317', '§ 9601', '§4', '§5', '§3', '§2', '§2']

2006 2q1_2 | United States Sentencing Commission
2006 2q1_2
2006 Federal Sentencing GuidelinesCHAPTER 2 - PART Q - OFFENSES INVOLVING THE ENVIRONMENT 1. ENVIRONMENT §2Q1.2. Mishandling of Hazardous or Toxic Substances or Pesticides;
Recordkeeping, Tampering, and Falsification; Unlawfully
Transporting Hazardous Materials in Commerce (a) Base Offense Level: 8(b) Specific Offense Characteristics (1) (A) If the offense resulted in an ongoing, continuous, or
repetitive discharge, release, or emission of a hazardous or toxic
substance or pesticide into the environment, increase by 6 levels;
(B) if the offense otherwise involved a discharge, release, or
emission of a hazardous or toxic substance or pesticide, increase
by 4 levels.
(2) If the offense resulted in a substantial likelihood of death or
serious bodily injury, increase by 9 levels. (3) If the offense resulted in disruption of public utilities or
evacuation of a community, or if cleanup required a substantial
expenditure, increase by 4 levels.
(4) If the offense involved transportation, treatment, storage, or
disposal without a permit or in violation of a permit, increase by
4 levels. (5) If a recordkeeping offense reflected an effort to conceal a
substantive environmental offense, use the offense level for the
substantive offense. (6) If the offense involved a simple recordkeeping or reporting
violation only, decrease by 2 levels.
(7) If the defendant was convicted under 49 U.S.C. § 5124 or §
46312, increase by 2 levels.
CommentaryStatutory Provisions: 7 U.S.C. §§ 136j-136l; 15 U.S.C. §§ 2614 and
2615; 33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(c)(1), (2), 1321(b)(5), 1517(b); 42 U.S.C.
§§ 300h-2, 6928(d), 7413, 9603(b), (c), (d); 43 U.S.C. §§ 1350,
1816(a), 1822(b);49 U.S.C. §§ 5124, 46312. For additional statutory provision(s), see Appendix A (Statutory Index).Application Notes:
1. "Recordkeeping offense" includes both recordkeeping and
reporting offenses. The term is to be broadly construed as
including failure to report discharges, releases, or emissions
where required; the giving of false information; failure to file
other required reports or provide necessary information; and
failure to prepare, maintain, or provide records as prescribed.
2. "Simple recordkeeping or reporting violation" means a
recordkeeping or reporting offense in a situation where the
defendant neither knew nor had reason to believe that the
recordkeeping offense would significantly increase the likelihood
of any substantive environmental harm.
3. This section applies to offenses involving pesticides or
substances designated toxic or hazardous at the time of the offense
by statute or regulation. A listing of hazardous and toxic
substances in the guidelines would be impractical. Several federal
statutes (or regulations promulgated thereunder) list toxics,
hazardous wastes and substances, and pesticides. These lists, such
as those of toxic pollutants for which effluent standards are
published under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (e.g., 33
U.S.C. § 1317) as well as the designation of hazardous substances
under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (e.g., 42 U.S.C. § 9601(14)), are revised from time
to time. "Toxic" and "hazardous" are defined differently in
various statutes, but the common dictionary meanings of the words
are not significantly different.
4. Except when the adjustment in subsection (b)(6) for simple
recordkeeping offenses applies, this section assumes knowing
conduct. In cases involving negligent conduct, a downward
departure may be warranted. 5. Subsection (b)(1) assumes a discharge or emission into the
environment resulting in actual environmental contamination. A
wide range of conduct, involving the handling of different
quantities of materials with widely differing propensities,
potentially is covered. Depending upon the harm resulting from the
emission, release or discharge, the quantity and nature of the
substance or pollutant, the duration of the offense and the risk
associated with the violation, a departure of up to two levels in
either direction from the offense levels prescribed in these
specific offense characteristics may be appropriate. 6. Subsection (b)(2) applies to offenses where the public health is
seriously endangered. Depending upon the nature of the risk
created and the number of people placed at risk, a departure of up
to three levels upward or downward may be warranted. If death or
serious bodily injury results, a departure would be called for. See Chapter Five, Part K (Departures). 7. Subsection (b)(3) provides an enhancement where a public
disruption, evacuation or cleanup at substantial expense has been
required. Depending upon the nature of the contamination involved,
a departure of up to two levels either upward or downward could be
warranted. 8. Subsection (b)(4) applies where the offense involved violation
of a permit, or where there was a failure to obtain a permit when
one was required. Depending upon the nature and quantity of the
substance involved and the risk associated with the offense, a
departure of up to two levels either upward or downward may be
warranted. 9. Other Upward Departure Provisions.—
(A) Civil Adjudications and Failure to Comply with Administrative
Order.—In a case in which the defendant has previously engaged in
similar misconduct established by a civil adjudication or has
failed to comply with an administrative order, an upward departure
may be warranted. See §4A1.3 (Departures Based on Inadequacy of
Criminal History Category).
(B) Extreme Psychological Injury.—If the offense caused extreme
psychological injury, an upward departure may be warranted. See §5K2.3 (Extreme Psychological Injury).
(C) Terrorism.—If the offense was calculated to influence or affect
the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to
retaliate against government conduct, an upward departure would be
warranted. See Application Note 4 of the Commentary to §3A1.4
(Terrorism).
Background: This section applies both to substantive violations of
the statute governing the handling of pesticides and toxic and
hazardous substances and to recordkeeping offenses. The first four
specific offense characteristics provide enhancements when the
offense involved a substantive violation. The last two specific
offense characteristics apply to recordkeeping offenses. Although
other sections of the guidelines generally prescribe a base offense
level of 6 for regulatory violations, §2Q1.2 prescribes a base
offense level of 8 because of the inherently dangerous nature of
hazardous and toxic substances and pesticides. A decrease of
2 levels is provided, however, for "simple recordkeeping or
reporting violations" under §2Q1.2(b)(6).Historical Note: Effective November 1, 1987. Amended effective
November 1, 1993 (see Appendix C, amendment 481); November 1, 1997
(see Appendix C, amendment 553); November 1, 2004 (see Appendix C,
amendment 672). USSC HelpLine