(a) In addition to those penalties provided by section 22a-175, any person who violates any provision of this chapter, or any regulation, order or permit adopted or issued thereunder may be assessed a civil penalty by the court not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars for each offense. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each day of continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may request the Attorney General to bring a civil action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to have such assessment imposed by the court. In addition, the commissioner may request the Attorney General to institute a civil action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford for injunctive relief to restrain any further violation of any provision of this chapter, or any regulation, order or permit adopted or issued thereunder. The superior court shall grant such relief upon notice and hearing. If two or more persons are responsible for a violation of any provision of this chapter, or any regulation, order or permit adopted or issued thereunder, such persons shall be jointly and severally liable.
(b) In addition to those penalties provided by section 22a-175 and subsection (a) of this section, if any person fails to comply with any corrective provision of an order within six months of the date prescribed for the corrective provision of the order issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and (1) no request from such person for a hearing on such order or appeal therefrom is pending at the end of such six-month period, (2) the time for making such request or taking such appeal has expired, and (3) the commissioner determines that such noncompliance is not due to factors beyond the control of such person, the commissioner shall request the Attorney General to bring an action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford for injunctive relief to restrain any further violation of the order and to secure compliance with the order or any part thereof. During the pendency of any action brought pursuant to this subsection, the commissioner shall pursue any administrative measure available to obtain compliance.
(1967, P.A. 754, S. 11; 1969, P.A. 758, S. 9; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 24; 1972, P.A. 103, S. 3; P.A. 78-280, S. 2, 127; P.A. 87-338, S. 4, 11; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-364, S. 38, 123; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; 90-150, S. 1; 90-247, S. 3; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)
History: 1969 act increased maximum penalty from $500 to $1,000 and removed clause which allowed institution of civil action only if preventative or corrective measures are not taken; 1971 act replaced “commission”, i.e. clean air commission, with “commissioner”, i.e. commissioner of environmental protection; 1972 act allowed imposition of penalty “in addition to those penalties provided by Sec. 19-508a”; P.A. 78-280 replaced “county” with “judicial district”; Sec. 19-516 transferred to Sec. 22a-180 in 1983; P.A. 87-338 amended the section by changing the amount of the penalty from $5,000 per week to $1,000 per day and authorizing the commissioner of environmental protection to request the attorney general to bring an action for imposition of the penalty; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain at Hartford” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-364 made technical changes; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 90-150 added Subsec. (b) re mandatory referral of certain matters to the attorney general for the purpose of obtaining injunctive relief; P.A. 90-247 provided that penalties apply to violations of regulations and permits, increased the penalty from a maximum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000 and added provision re joint and several liability; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011.
Cited. 227 C. 545.