§ 8-7-504 - Penalties.

8-7-504. Penalties.

(a) (1) Any person who commits any unlawful act under this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than one (1) year or a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or to both a fine and imprisonment.

(2) Each day or part of a day during which such violation is continued or repeated shall constitute a separate offense.

(b) Any person who violates any provision of this subchapter or commits any unlawful act under this subchapter shall be subject to:

(1) A civil penalty in such amount as the Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality shall find appropriate, not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per day of the violation;

(2) The payment of any expenses reasonably incurred by the state in removing, correcting, or terminating any adverse effects resulting therefrom, including the cost of the investigation, inspection, or survey establishing the violation or unlawful act; and

(3) The payment to the state of reasonable compensation of any actual damage resulting therefrom.

(c) One-half (1/2) of the civil penalties provided for in subdivision (b)(1) of this section, but not to exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in any one (1) calendar year and not to exceed four million dollars ($4,000,000) in the aggregate, may be deposited in the Remedial Action Account in the Construction Assistance Revolving Loan Fund established pursuant to 15-5-901, if so authorized by the Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and such moneys shall not be deposited or deemed to be a part of the State Treasury for the purposes of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, 29, Arkansas Constitution, Article 16, 12, Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 20, or any other constitutional or statutory provisions.