§128D-3 Reportable quantities; duty to report. (a) The director shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 establishing the quantities of designated hazardous substances, and specifying the periods of time within which such quantities, when released, are reportable pursuant to this chapter. The director, at a minimum, shall adopt hazardous substances and reportable quantities as designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to parts 117 and 302 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and by the United States Department of Transportation pursuant to parts 171 and 172 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The designated quantity released of any hazardous substance shall be a reportable quantity, regardless of the medium into which the hazardous substance is released.
(b) Any person in charge of a vessel or an offshore or onshore facility shall immediately notify the department as soon as the person has any knowledge of any release (other than a federal or state permitted release) of a hazardous substance from the vessel or facility in quantities equal to or greater than those determined pursuant to section 102 of CERCLA or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. Releases which occurred prior to July 1, 1990, are excluded from this requirement. Unless the director requires otherwise by rule, the regulations adopted under section 103(b) of CERCLA shall apply to the implementation of this section.
(c) Any person who fails to report a hazardous substance release to the department immediately upon knowledge of the release shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for each day of failure to report or subject to prosecution for a criminal misdemeanor. Notification received by the department pursuant to this section or information obtained by the exploitation of such notification shall not be used against any such person in any criminal case, except for a prosecution for perjury or for giving a false statement; or a violation of section 128D-10. [L 1988, c 148, pt of §2; am L 1990, c 298, pt of §18; am L 1991, c 280, §4]