Senate Bill No. 222

(By Senators Wooton, Mitchell and Chafin)

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[Introduced January 27, 2000; referred to the Committee on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-two, article eleven, chapter twenty-two of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing civil penalties under the water pollution control act.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-two, article eleven, chapter twenty-two of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 11. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT.
§22-11-22. Civil penalties and injunctive relief.

Any person who violates any provision of any permit issued under or subject to the provisions of this article is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed ten twenty-five thousand dollars per day of such violation, and any person who violates any provision of this article or of any rule or who violates any standard or order promulgated or made and entered under the provisions of this article or articles one or three, chapter twenty-two-b of this code is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed ten twenty-five thousand dollars per day of such violation. Any such civil penalty may be imposed and collected only by a civil action instituted by the director in the circuit court of the county in which the violation occurred or is occurring or of the county in which the waters thereof are polluted as the result of such violation.
Upon application by the director, the circuit courts of this state or the judges thereof in vacation may by injunction compel compliance with and enjoin violations of the provisions of this article, the rules of the board or director, effluent limitations, the terms and conditions of any permit granted under the provisions of this article, or any order of the director or board, and the venue of any such action shall be the county in which the violation or noncompliance exists or is taking place or in any county in which the waters thereof are polluted as the result of such violation or noncompliance. The court or the judge thereof in vacation may issue a temporary or preliminary injunction in any case pending a decision on the merits of any injunctive application filed. Any other section of this code to the contrary notwithstanding, the state is not required to furnish bond as a prerequisite to obtaining injunctive relief under this article. An application for an injunction under the provisions of this section may be filed and injunctive relief granted notwithstanding that all of the administrative remedies provided for in this article have not been pursued or invoked against the person or persons against whom such relief is sought and notwithstanding that the person or persons against whom such relief is sought have not been prosecuted or convicted under the provisions of this article.
The judgment of the circuit court upon any application filed or in any civil action instituted under the provisions of this section is final unless reversed, vacated or modified on appeal to the supreme court of appeals. Any such appeal shall be sought in the manner provided by law for appeals from circuit courts in other civil cases, except that the petition seeking review in any injunctive proceeding must be filed with said supreme court of appeals within ninety days from the date of entry of the judgment of the circuit court.
Legal counsel and services for the chief, director or the board in all civil penalty and injunction proceedings in the circuit court and in the supreme court of appeals of this state shall be provided by the attorney general or his or her assistants and by the prosecuting attorneys of the several counties as well, all without additional compensation, or the chief, director or the board, with the written approval of the attorney general, may employ counsel to represent him or her or it in a particular proceeding.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the civil penalties for violations of the Water Pollution Control Act. The change increases the fines from a maximum of $10,000.00 to $25,000.00. This is consistent with other articles in Chapter 22 and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, PL 92-500.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.