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<section article="gen" article_name="Environment" number="1-903" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions; Enforcement" subtitle_number="9" subtitle_name="Clean Water Justice Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a person that has standing under § 1–902 of this subtitle may bring a civil action on the person’s own behalf against any person or political subdivision that is alleged to be in violation of any standard.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, an action may not be brought under subsection (a) of this section unless the plaintiff first gives 60 days’ notice of the alleged violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Notice under this subsection shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <level label="1">
          <text>By certified mail; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>By personal service; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provided to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The Secretary;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The Attorney General;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Any local jurisdiction in which the violation is alleged to occur; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>An alleged violator of the standard.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>An action may not be brought under subsection (a) of this section if the Secretary has commenced and is diligently prosecuting a civil action or a consent order is entered to require compliance from the alleged violator.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Notwithstanding subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, a person that meets the threshold standing requirements under federal law may intervene in a civil action brought by the Secretary, as provided in § 1–904 of this subtitle.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Notice under this subsection shall identify:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A standard violated;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An activity constituting the violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A person suspected of being responsible for the violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The location of the violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>The dates of violations if known; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>The name and address of the person giving notice.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An action brought in accordance with this section shall be brought in any circuit court of a county where the condition, activity, or failure is alleged to be a violation of a standard.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Before the entering of any consent judgment to which the Department is not a party or before the dismissal of any case filed in accordance with this subtitle subject to a settlement agreement, the plaintiff shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Give notice and provide a complete and unredacted copy of the proposed consent judgment or settlement agreement to the Department and the Attorney General by personal service or certified mail at least 45 days before the date that the proposed consent judgment or settlement agreement is filed with the court; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>File an affidavit with the court under penalty of perjury indicating compliance with the requirement under item (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A court may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Order the enforcement of a standard; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Grant:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Temporary or permanent equitable relief; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Except as otherwise provided by this subtitle, any other relief provided under a standard.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>In an action under this section, the court may award the costs of litigation to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A prevailing plaintiff;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A substantially prevailing plaintiff; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A substantially prevailing defendant if the plaintiff’s claim was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, a court may impose a civil penalty authorized in accordance with the statute under which an action is brought under this section.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A court may approve a consent judgment or settlement agreement between the parties that includes a supplemental environmental project.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A civil penalty collected under this subsection shall be deposited in a manner specified by the statute.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The State may not be held liable for civil penalties in any action under this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
