2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 22a - Environmental Protection › Chapter 439 - Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. State Policy › Section 22a-6b. - Imposition of civil penalties by the commissioner.

(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish a schedule setting forth the amounts, or the ranges of amounts, or a method for calculating the amount of the civil penalties which may become due under this section. Such schedule or method may be amended from time to time in the same manner as for adoption provided any such regulations which become effective after July 1, 1993, shall only apply to violations which occur after said date. The civil penalties established for each violation shall be of such amount as to insure immediate and continued compliance with applicable laws, regulations, orders and permits. Such civil penalties shall not exceed the following amounts:
(1) For failure to file any registration, other than a registration for a general permit, for failure to file any plan, report or record, or any application for a permit, for failure to obtain any certification, for failure to display any registration, permit or order, or file any other information required pursuant to any provision of section 14-100b or 14-164c, subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 15-121, section 15-171, 15-172, 15-175, 22a-5, 22a-6, 22a-7, 22a-32, 22a-39 or 22a-42a, 22a-45a, chapter 441, sections 22a-134 to 22a-134d, inclusive, subsection (b) of section 22a-134p, sections 22a-148 to 22a-162a, inclusive, section 22a-171, 22a-174, 22a-175, 22a-177, 22a-178, 22a-181, 22a-183, 22a-184, 22a-208, 22a-208a, 22a-209, 22a-213, 22a-220, 22a-231, 22a-245a, 22a-336, 22a-342, 22a-345, 22a-346, 22a-347, 22a-349a, 22a-354p, 22a-358, 22a-359, 22a-361, 22a-362, 22a-368, 22a-401 to 22a-405, inclusive, 22a-411, 22a-411a, 22a-416, 22a-417, 22a-424 to 22a-433, inclusive, 22a-447, 22a-449, 22a-450, 22a-451, 22a-454, 22a-458, 22a-461, 22a-462 or 22a-471, or any regulation, order or permit adopted or issued thereunder by the commissioner, and for other violations of similar character as set forth in such schedule or schedules, no more than one thousand dollars for said violation and in addition no more than one hundred dollars for each day during which such violation continues;
(2) For deposit, placement, removal, disposal, discharge or emission of any material or substance or electromagnetic radiation or the causing of, engaging in or maintaining of any condition or activity in violation of any provision of section 14-100b or 14-164c, subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of section 15-121, section 15-171, 15-172, 15-175, 22a-5, 22a-6, 22a-7, 22a-32, 22a-39 or 22a-42a, 22a-45a, chapter 441, sections 22a-134 to 22a-134d, inclusive, section 22a-69 or 22a-74, subsection (b) of section 22a-134p, sections 22a-148 to 22a-162a, inclusive, section 22a-162, 22a-171, 22a-174, 22a-175, 22a-177, 22a-178, 22a-181, 22a-183, 22a-184, 22a-190, 22a-208, 22a-208a, 22a-209, 22a-213, 22a-220, 22a-336, 22a-342, 22a-345, 22a-346, 22a-347, 22a-349a, 22a-354p, 22a-358, 22a-359, 22a-361, 22a-362, 22a-368, 22a-401 to 22a-405, inclusive, 22a-411, 22a-411a, 22a-416, 22a-417, 22a-424 to 22a-433, inclusive, 22a-447, 22a-449, 22a-450, 22a-451, 22a-454, 22a-458, 22a-461, 22a-462 or 22a-471, or any regulation, order or permit adopted thereunder by the commissioner, and for other violations of similar character as set forth in such schedule or schedules, no more than twenty-five thousand dollars for said violation for each day during which such violation continues;
(3) For violation of the terms of any final order of the commissioner, except final orders under subsection (d) of this section and emergency orders and cease and desist orders as set forth in subdivision (4) of this subsection, for violation of the terms of any permit issued by the commissioner, and for other violations of similar character as set forth in such schedule or schedules, no more than twenty-five thousand dollars for said violation for each day during which such violation continues;
(4) For violation of any emergency order or cease and desist order of the commissioner, and for other violations of similar character as set forth in such schedule or schedules, no more than twenty-five thousand dollars for said violation for each day during which such violation continues;
(5) For failure to make an immediate report required pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 22a-135, or a report required by the department pursuant to subsection (b) of section 22a-135, no more than twenty-five thousand dollars per violation per day;
(6) For violation of any provision of the state's hazardous waste program, no more than twenty-five thousand dollars per violation per day;
(7) For wilful violation of any condition imposed pursuant to section 26-313 which leads to the destruction of, or harm to, any rare, threatened or endangered species, no more than ten thousand dollars per violation per day;
(8) For violation of any provision of sections 22a-608 to 22a-611, inclusive, no more than the amount established by Section 325 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 (42 USC 11001 et seq.) for a violation of Section 302, 304 or 311 to 313, inclusive, of said act.
(b) In adopting regulations regarding any schedule or methods prescribed by this section, the commissioner shall consider:
(1) The amount or ranges of amounts of assessment necessary to insure immediate and continued compliance;
(2) The character and degree of impact of the violation on the natural resources of the state, especially any rare or unique natural phenomena;
(3) The conduct of the person incurring the civil penalty in taking all feasible steps or procedures necessary or appropriate to comply or to correct the violation;
(4) Any prior violations by such person of statutes, regulations, orders or permits administered, adopted or issued by the commissioner;
(5) The economic and financial conditions of such person;
(6) The economic benefit which such person derived as a result of the violation;
(7) The character and degree of injury to, or interference with, public health, safety or welfare which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation;
(8) The character and degree of injury or impairment to, or interference with, reasonable use of property which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation;
(9) The character and degree of injury or impairment to, or interference with, the public trust in the air, water, land and other natural resources of the state;
(10) To the extent consistent with applicable law, any other factors the commissioner deems appropriate, including voluntary measures taken by such person to prevent pollution or enhance or preserve natural resources;
(11) In the case of violation of the provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 22a-135, the apparent seriousness of the release, occurrence, incident or other circumstance at the time it first became known to the licensee or any employee of such licensee, the extent of the delay from the time such licensee or employee had or in the exercise of reasonable care should have had knowledge of such release, occurrence, incident or circumstance until its reporting by the licensee in accordance with this subsection, subsection (a) of this section and section 22a-135, and the conduct of the licensee in taking all necessary steps to prevent future violations of the provisions of said subdivision.
(c) If the commissioner has reason to believe that a violation has occurred for which a civil penalty is authorized by this section, he may send to the violator, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal service, a notice which shall include:
(1) A reference to the sections of the statute, regulation, order or permit involved;
(2) A short and plain statement of the matters asserted or charged;
(3) A statement of the amount of the civil penalty or penalties or the method for calculating the penalty or penalties to be imposed upon finding after hearing that a violation has occurred or upon a default; and
(4) A statement of the party's right to a hearing.
(d) The person to whom the notice is addressed shall have thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice in which to deliver to the commissioner written application for a hearing. If a hearing is requested then, after a hearing and upon a finding that a violation has occurred, the commissioner may issue a final order assessing a civil penalty under this section which is not greater than the penalty stated in the notice. The commissioner may amend a notice of assessment at any time before such notice becomes final, provided the person to whom the notice is addressed shall have thirty days from the date of receipt of such amendment in which to deliver to the commissioner a written application for a hearing on such amendment, and provided further the commissioner may amend a notice of assessment after a hearing has begun only with the permission of the hearing officer. If such a hearing is not so requested, or if such a request is later withdrawn, then the notice shall, on the first day after the expiration of such twenty-day period or on the first day after the withdrawal of such request for hearing, whichever is later, become a final order of the commissioner and the matters asserted or charged in the notice shall be deemed admitted unless modified by consent order, which shall be a final order. Any civil penalty may be mitigated by the commissioner upon such terms and conditions as the commissioner in the commissioner's discretion deems proper or necessary upon consideration of the factors set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
(e) All hearings under this section shall be conducted pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive. The final order of the commissioner assessing a civil penalty shall be subject to appeal as set forth in section 4-183, except that any such appeal shall be taken to the superior court for the judicial district of New Britain and shall have precedence in the order of trial as provided in section 52-191. Such final order shall not be subject to appeal under any other provision of the general statutes. No challenge to any notice of assessment or final order of the commissioner assessing a civil penalty shall be allowed as to any issue which could have been raised by an appeal of an earlier order, notice, permit, denial or other final decision by the commissioner. Any civil penalty authorized by this section shall become due and payable (1) at the time of receipt of a final order in the case of a civil penalty assessed in such order after a hearing, (2) on the first day after the expiration of the period in which a hearing may be requested if no hearing is requested, or (3) on the first day after any withdrawal of a request for hearing.
(f) Any person acting within the terms and conditions of a final order or permit issued to him by the commissioner shall not be subject to a civil penalty, under this section, for such actions.
(g) A civil penalty assessed in a final order of the commissioner under this section may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment of the Superior Court. Such final order shall be served in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested. Any notice of violation or final order against a private corporation shall be served upon at least one of the individuals enumerated in section 52-57. After entry, a transcript of such final order may be filed by the commissioner, without requiring the payment of costs as a condition precedent to such filing, in the office of the clerk of the superior court in any one or more of the following judicial districts: Any judicial district in which the respondent resides, any judicial district in which the respondent has a place of business, any judicial district in which the respondent owns real property and any judicial district in which any real property which is a subject of the proceedings is located; or, if the respondent is not a resident of the state of Connecticut, in the judicial district of Hartford. Upon such filing, such clerk or clerks shall docket such order in the same manner and with the same effect as a judgment entered in the superior court within the judicial district. Upon such docketing, such order may be enforced as a judgment of such court.
(h) The provisions of this section, sections 22a-2, 22a-6, 22a-6a, 22a-7, sections 22a-428, subsection (d) of section 22a-430, sections 22a-431, 22a-432, 22a-433, 22a-437 and subsections (b) and (c) of section 22a-459 are in addition to and in no way derogate from any other enforcement provisions contained in any statute administered by the commissioner. The powers, duties and remedies provided in such other statutes, and the existence of or exercise of any powers, duties or remedies hereunder or thereunder shall not prevent the commissioner from exercising any other powers, duties or remedies provided herein, therein, at law or in equity.
(i) No penalty shall be assessed pursuant to this section which exceeds two hundred thousand dollars or such other amount as may be provided by federal law.
(P.A. 73-665, S. 2, 17; P.A. 78-96, S. 2; 78-280, S. 2, 6, 127; P.A. 80-351, S. 2, 3, 5; P.A. 81-443, S. 1, 7; 81-472, S. 55, 159; P.A. 83-108, S. 4; 83-587, S. 40, 41, 96; P.A. 84-54, S. 2, 3; 84-283, S. 2; 84-383, S. 4, 5; P.A. 86-239, S. 3, 14; 86-332, S. 18, 20; 86-403, S. 50, 132; P.A. 87-125, S. 2; 87-338, S. 1, 11; 87-438, S. 4; 87-475, S. 6, 7; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-317, S. 85, 107; 88-364, S. 80, 123; P.A. 89-209, S. 5; 89-212, S. 10; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; 90-173, S. 9; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; 93-428, S. 33, 39; P.A. 95-218, S. 4, 24; 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 96-145, S. 11; P.A. 99-215, S. 24, 29; P.A. 05-288, S. 93; P.A. 07-217, S. 105; Nov. 24 Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1, S. 14; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-5, S. 50; P.A. 17-78, S. 1; P.A. 22-143, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 78-96 added references to Sec. 22a-32 in Subsec. (a)(1) and (2); P.A. 78-280 substituted “judicial district” for “county” and “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” for “Hartford county”; P.A. 80-351 added Subsec. (a)(5) and Subsec. (c)(8); P.A. 81-443 added Subsec. (a)(6) authorizing commissioner to impose a civil penalty for violation by the state's hazardous waste program; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 83-108 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to include failure to obtain certification under penalty imposed and updated section and chapter references in (a)(1) and (2); P.A. 83-587 deleted references to Secs. 25-8a and 25-8c in Subsec. (a) and deleted reference to Sec. 25-54qq in Subsec. (i); P.A. 84-54 amended Subsec. (a)(6) by adding references to Secs. 22a-69 and 22a-74; P.A. 84-283 added Subsec. (a)(7) authorizing a civil penalty for violation of any condition imposed under Sec. 24-2a leading to the destruction of or harm to any rare, threatened or endangered species; P.A. 84-383 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding references to Sec. 22a-161 and by making actions involving electromagnetic radiation subject to civil penalties of said Subdiv.; P.A. 86-239 amended Subsec. (a)(1) and (2) by deleting reference to Sec. 22a-418 and adding reference to Sec. 22a-471; P.A. 86-332 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding reference to Sec. 22a-231 and (a)(2) by adding reference to 22a-190; P.A. 86-403 added reference to Sec. 22a-208a in Subsec. (a); P.A. 87-125 amended Subsec. (a)(1) and (2) by deleting references to Sec. 22a-455 for consistency with other statutory changes; P.A. 87-338 amended Subsec. (a)(1) and (2) to add Sec. 22a-42a and amended Subsec. (i) to delete reference to Sec. 22a-182; P.A. 87-438 amended Subsec. (i) by deleting the reference to Sec. 22a-389 for statutory consistency; P.A. 87-475 amended Subsec. (a)(6) by deleting reference to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 USC 6901 et seq.); P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-177 to 4-184 in Subsec. (f) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 88-364 amended Subsec. (i) to delete an obsolete reference; P.A. 89-209 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to Sec. 22a-134p; P.A. 89-212 added Subsec. (a)(8) establishing penalty amount for violations of Secs. 22a-607 to 22a-610, inclusive; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 90-173 amended Subsec. (a) to require the schedule or schedules to be adopted “in accordance with chapter 54” rather than “after public hearings pursuant to section 22a-6” and amended Subsec. (a)(1) and (2) to add reference to Secs. 15-171, 15-172 and 15-175; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 93-428 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize the commissioner to adopt regulatory methods of assessing administrative civil penalties, to adopt civil penalties for violations of Secs. 22a-45a, 22a-134 to 22a-134d, inclusive, 22a-349a and 22a-411, to delete certain limiting provisions re the calculation of the amounts of civil penalties, to delete caps on certain penalties and to expand financial liability for certain violations, amended Subsec. (b) to add certain considerations for establishing civil penalties, rewrote former Subsec. (c) and relettered former Subsecs. (d) to (i), inclusive, amended Subsec. (d) to provide for amended notices of assessment and added a new Subsec. (j) re cap on civil penalties assessed under this section, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-218 amended Subsec. (a) to add violations re aquifer protection and erection of structures or dredging in waters of the state to the list for which penalties may be assessed under this section; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-145 deleted references to repealed Secs. 22a-383, 22a-384, 22a-385 and 22a-387 in Subsec. (a); P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsec. (e), effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective July 12, 2007; Nov. 24 Sp. Sess. P.A. 08-1 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding reference to Sec. 22a-245a, effective February 1, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-5 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to Sec. 16-19g in Subdiv. (11), effective May 8, 2013; P.A. 17-78 amended Subsec. (a) to include reference to Sec. 22a-411a in Subdivs. (1) and (2), effective June 27, 2017; P.A. 22-143 amended Subsecs. (a)(1) and (a)(2) to add reference to Secs. 22a-148 to 22a-162a, inclusive, effective May 31, 2022.
Cited. 175 C. 483; 204 C. 38; Id., 212; 217 C. 130; 238 C. 216.