(a) An operator of an underground tank system is liable for a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each underground storage tank, for each day of violation, for any of the following violations:
(1) Operating an underground tank system that has not been issued a permit, in violation of this chapter.
(2) Violation of an applicable requirement of the permit issued for the operation of the underground tank system.
(3) Failure to maintain records, as required by this chapter.
(4) Failure to report an unauthorized release, as required by Sections 25294 and 25295.
(5) Failure to properly close an underground tank system, as required by Section 25298.
(6) Violation of an applicable requirement of this chapter or a regulation adopted by the board pursuant to Section 25299.3.
(7) Failure to permit inspection or to perform a monitoring, testing, or reporting required pursuant to Section 25288 or 25289.
(8) Making a false statement, representation, or certification in an application, record, report, or other document submitted or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter.
(9) Tampering with or otherwise disabling automatic leak detection devices or alarms.
(b) An owner of an underground tank system is liable for a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) per day for each underground storage tank, for each day of violation, for any of the following violations:
(1) Failure to obtain a permit as specified by this chapter.
(2) Failure to repair or upgrade an underground tank system in accordance with this chapter.
(3) Abandonment or improper closure of an underground tank system subject to this chapter.
(4) Violation of an applicable requirement of the permit issued for operation of the underground tank system.
(5) Violation of an applicable requirement of this chapter or a regulation adopted by the board pursuant to Section 25299.3.
(6) Failure to permit inspection or to perform a monitoring, testing, or reporting required pursuant to Section 25288 or 25289.
(7) Making a false statement, representation, or certification in an application, record, report, or other document submitted or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter.
(c) A person who intentionally fails to notify the board, the regional board, or the local agency when required to do so by this chapter or who submits false information in a permit application, amendment, or renewal, pursuant to Section 25286, is liable for a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each underground storage tank for which notification is not given or false information is submitted.
(d) (1) A person who violates a corrective action requirement established by, or issued pursuant to, Section 25296.10 is liable for a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each underground storage tank for each day of violation.
(2) A civil penalty under this subdivision may be imposed in a civil action under this chapter, or may be administratively imposed by the board or a regional board pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 13323) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of the Water Code.
(e) A person who violates Section 25292.3 is liable for a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each underground storage tank for each day of violation.
(f) (1) A person who falsifies any monitoring records required by this chapter, or knowingly fails to report an unauthorized release, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(2) A person who intentionally disables or tampers with an automatic leak detection system in a manner that would prevent the automatic leak detection system from detecting a leak or alerting the owner or operator of the leak, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.
(g) In determining both the civil and criminal penalties imposed pursuant to this section, the board, a regional board, or the court, as the case may be, shall consider all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the extent of harm or potential harm caused by the violation, the nature of the violation and the period of time over which it occurred, the frequency of past violations, and the corrective action, if any, taken by the person who holds the permit.
(h) (1) A civil penalty or criminal fine imposed pursuant to this section for a separate violation shall be separate from, and in addition to, any other civil penalty or criminal fine imposed pursuant to this section or any other provision of law, except that no civil penalty shall be recovered under subdivision (d) for violations for which a civil penalty is recovered pursuant to Section 13268 or 13350 of the Water Code. The penalty or fine shall be paid to the unified program agency, the participating agency, or the state, whichever is represented by the office of the city attorney, district attorney, or Attorney General bringing the action.
(2) Any penalties or fines paid to a unified program agency or a participating agency pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deposited into a special account and shall be expended only to fund the activities of the unified program agency or participating agency in enforcing the unified program, as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 25404, within the jurisdiction of that agency pursuant to the unified program specified in Chapter 6.11 (commencing with Section 25404).
(3) All penalties or fines collected by the board or a regional board pursuant to this section or Section 25299.05 or collected on behalf of the board or a regional board by the Attorney General for these purposes shall be deposited in the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account in the State Water Quality Control Fund, and are available for expenditure by the board, upon appropriation, pursuant to Section 13441 of the Water Code.
(i) Paragraph (9) of subdivision (a) does not prohibit the owner or operator of an underground storage tank, or his or her designee, from maintaining, repairing, or replacing automatic leak detection devices or alarms associated with that tank.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 524, Sec. 1. (AB 355) Effective January 1, 2018.)