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<section article="gen" article_name="Environment" number="9-269" title_number="9" title_name="Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Regulation by State">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A person who violates any provision of Part III of this subtitle or any rule, regulation, order, or permit adopted or issued under Part III of this subtitle is liable to the State for civil penalties.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>These civil penalties are:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A basic civil penalty not exceeding $10,000; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An additional penalty not exceeding $10,000 a day for each day that the violation continues, up to a maximum of $50,000.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The State shall recover the civil penalties under this section in a civil action.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In addition to any other remedies available at law or in equity and after an opportunity for a hearing which may be waived in writing by the person accused of a violation, the Department may impose a penalty for violation of any provision of Part III of this subtitle or any regulation, order, or permit adopted or issued under Part III of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The penalty imposed on a person under this subsection shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Up to $1,000 for each violation, but not exceeding $50,000 total; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Assessed with consideration given to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The willfulness of the violation, the extent to which the existence of the violation was known to but uncorrected by the violator, and the extent to which the violator exercised reasonable care;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Any actual harm to the environment or to human health, including injury to or impairment of the use of the waters of the State or the natural resources of the State;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The cost of cleanup and the cost of restoration of natural resources;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>The nature and degree of injury to or interference with general welfare, health, and property;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>The extent to which the location of the violation, including location near waters of the State or areas of human population, creates the potential for harm to the environment or to human health or safety;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>The available technology and economic reasonableness of controlling, reducing, or eliminating the violation; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>The extent to which the current violation is part of a recurrent pattern of the same or similar type of violation committed by the violator.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Each day a violation occurs is a separate violation under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Any penalty imposed under this subsection is payable to the State and collectible in any manner provided by law for the collection of debts.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>If any person who is liable to pay a penalty imposed under this subsection fails to pay it after demand, the amount, together with interest and any costs that may accrue, shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A lien in favor of the State on any property, real or personal, of the person; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Recorded in the office of the clerk of court for the county in which the property is located.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Any penalty collected under this subsection shall be placed in the Maryland Clean Water Fund under § 9–320 of this title.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, in addition to any other penalties set forth in this section, if any sewage sludge utilizer violates the terms of the permit by any action or inaction of the utilizer that results in the return of the sewage sludge to the generator, the utilizer is liable to the State for civil penalties.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The civil penalty imposed under this subsection may not exceed $100 for each wet ton of sewage sludge returned to the generator.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The provisions of this subsection do not apply if the violation is not caused by any action or inaction of the utilizer.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
