444.376. Administrative penalties, assessment, restriction--conference, conciliation and persuasion--rules--payment--appeal--collection, disposition.
Administrative penalties, assessment, restriction--conference,conciliation and persuasion--rules--payment--appeal--collection,disposition.
444.376. 1. In addition to any other remedy provided bylaw, upon a determination by the director that a provision ofsections 444.350 to 444.380 or a standard, limitation, order,rule or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto, or a term orcondition of any permit has been violated, the director may issuean order assessing an administrative penalty upon the violatorunder this section. An administrative penalty shall not beimposed until the director has sought to resolve the violationsthrough conference, conciliation and persuasion and shall not beimposed for minor violations of sections 444.350 to 444.380 orminor violations of any standard, limitation, order, rule orregulation promulgated pursuant to sections 444.350 to 444.380 orminor violations of any term or condition of a permit issuedpursuant to sections 444.350 to 444.380. If the violation isresolved through conference, conciliation and persuasion, noadministrative penalty shall be assessed unless the violation hascaused, or has the potential to cause, a risk to human health orto the environment, or has caused or has potential to causepollution, or was knowingly committed, or is defined by theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency as other thanminor. Any order assessing an administrative penalty shall statethat an administrative penalty is being assessed under thissection and that the person subject to the penalty may appeal asprovided by this section. Any such order that fails to state thestatute under which the penalty is being sought, the manner ofcollection or rights of appeal shall result in the state'swaiving any right to collection of the penalty.
2. The department shall promulgate rules and regulationsfor the assessment of administrative penalties. The amount ofthe administrative penalty assessed per day of violation for eachviolation under this section shall not exceed the amount of thecivil penalty specified in section 444.375. Such rules shallreflect the criteria used for the administrative penalty matrixas provided for in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42U.S.C. 6928(a), Section 3008(a), and the harm or potential harmwhich the violation causes, or may cause the violator's previouscompliance record, and any other factors which the department mayreasonably deem relevant. An administrative penalty shall bepaid within sixty days from the date of issuance of the orderassessing the penalty. Any person subject to an administrativepenalty may appeal any final order assessing an administrativepenalty as provided in sections 536.100 to 536.140, RSMo. Anyappeal will stay the due date of such administrative penaltyuntil the appeal is resolved. Any person who fails to pay anadministrative penalty by the final due date shall be liable tothe state for a surcharge of fifteen percent of the penalty plusten percent per annum on any amounts owed. Any administrativepenalty paid pursuant to this section shall be handled inaccordance with section 7 of article IX of the stateconstitution. An action may be brought in the appropriatecircuit court to collect any unpaid administrative penalty, andfor attorney's fees and costs incurred directly in the collectionthereof.
3. An administrative penalty shall not be increased inthose instances where department action, or failure to act, hascaused a continuation of the violation that was a basis for thepenalty. Any administrative penalty must be assessed within twoyears following the department's initial discovery of suchalleged violation, or from the date the department in theexercise of ordinary diligence should have discovered suchalleged violation.
4. The state may elect to assess an administrative penalty,or, in lieu thereof, to request that the attorney general orprosecutor file an appropriate legal action seeking a civilpenalty in the appropriate circuit court.
5. Any final order imposing an administrative penalty issubject to judicial review upon the filing of a petition pursuantto section 536.100, RSMo, by any person subject to theadministrative penalty.
(L. 1991 S.B. 45, A.L. 1993 S.B. 80, et al.)