The Governor of California recently signed into law AB 245, a bill to raise the maximum civil penalties for hazardous waste violations to $70,000 per day, per violation. This nearly triples the prior maximum penalty of $25,000 per day, per violation. Liability for such penalties can be imposed in a civil action brought by state or local prosecutors, or may be imposed administratively by the Department of Toxic Substances Control or any unified program agency.
The federal government also recently raised the maximum civil penalties that may be imposed for hazardous waste violations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to $71,264 per day, per violation. This is a much more modest increase from the previous maximum penalty amount.
For assistance in designing a proactive plan for improving your company’s hazardous waste compliance and avoiding penalties, or for negotiating with regulators and prosecutors regarding alleged violations, please contact us at [email protected].
© 2018 – Hartman King PC. All rights reserved. The information in this article has been prepared by Hartman King PC for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.