SB2488 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 15214 BDD 40810 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB2488

Introduced 2/3/2004, by Don Harmon

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

415 ILCS 5/44

from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1044

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that a person who violates the provisions of a Section concerning potentially infectious medical waste is guilty of a Class 4 felony (instead of a Class A misdemeanor) and is subject to a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each day of the violation. Effective immediately.

CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning environmental safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by changing Section 44 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/44) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1044)

Sec. 44. Criminal acts; penalties.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, it shall be a Class A misdemeanor to violate this Act or regulations thereunder, or any permit or term or condition thereof, or knowingly to submit any false information under this Act or regulations adopted thereunder, or under any permit or term or condition thereof. A court may, in addition to any other penalty herein imposed, order a person convicted of any violation of this Act to perform community service for not less than 100 hours and not more than 300 hours if community service is available in the jurisdiction. It shall be the duty of all State and local law-enforcement officers to enforce such Act and regulations, and all such officers shall have authority to issue citations for such violations.

(b) Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when, without lawful justification, he knowingly disposes of hazardous waste while knowing that he thereby places another person in danger of great bodily harm or creates an immediate or long-term danger to the public health or the environment.

(2) Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 2 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Calculated Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $500,000 for each day of such offense.

(c) Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when, without lawful justification, he knowingly disposes of hazardous waste.

(2) Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 3 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each day of such offense.

(d) Unauthorized Use of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Unauthorized Use of Hazardous Waste when he, being required to have a permit, registration, or license under this Act or any other law regulating the treatment, transportation, or storage of hazardous waste, knowingly:

(A) treats, transports, or stores any hazardous waste without such permit, registration, or license;

(B) treats, transports, or stores any hazardous waste in violation of the terms and conditions of such permit or license;

(C) transports any hazardous waste to a facility which does not have a permit or license required under this Act; or

(D) transports by vehicle any hazardous waste without having in each vehicle credentials issued to the transporter by the transporter's base state pursuant to procedures established under the Uniform Program.

(2) A person who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1)(A), (1)(B) or (1)(C) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 4 felony. A person who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (1)(D) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of violating subdivision (1)(A), (1)(B) or (1)(C) is subject to a fine not to exceed $100,000 for each day of such violation, and a person who is convicted of violating subdivision (1)(D) is subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000.

(e) Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste.

(1) Except as authorized by this Act or the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, it is unlawful for any person to knowingly deliver hazardous waste.

(2) Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste is a Class 3 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Unlawful Delivery of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each such violation.

(3) For purposes of this Section, "deliver" or "delivery" means the actual, constructive, or attempted transfer of possession of hazardous waste, with or without consideration, whether or not there is an agency relationship.

(f) Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste if he disposes of hazardous waste, and his acts which cause the hazardous waste to be disposed of, whether or not those acts are undertaken pursuant to or under color of any permit or license, are performed with a conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such disposing of hazardous waste is a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.

(2) Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste is a Class 4 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Reckless Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such offense.

(g) Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste when he conceals, without lawful justification, the disposal of hazardous waste with the knowledge that such hazardous waste has been disposed of in violation of this Act.

(2) Concealment of Criminal Disposal of a Hazardous Waste is a Class 4 felony. In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of the offense of Concealment of Criminal Disposal of Hazardous Waste is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such offense.

(h) Violations; False Statements.

(1) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement in an application for a permit or license required by this Act to treat, transport, store, or dispose of hazardous waste commits the offense of perjury and shall be subject to the penalties set forth in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961.

(2) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement or representation in any label, manifest, record, report, permit or license, or other document filed, maintained or used for the purpose of compliance with this Act in connection with the generation, disposal, treatment, storage, or transportation of hazardous waste commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(3) Any person who knowingly destroys, alters or conceals any record required to be made by this Act in connection with the disposal, treatment, storage, or transportation of hazardous waste, commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after a conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(4) Any person who knowingly makes a false material statement or representation in any application, bill, invoice, or other document filed, maintained, or used for the purpose of receiving money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(5) Any person who knowingly destroys, alters, or conceals any record required to be made or maintained by this Act or required to be made or maintained by Board or Agency rules for the purpose of receiving money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund commits a Class 4 felony. A second or any subsequent offense after a conviction hereunder is a Class 3 felony.

(6) A person who knowingly and falsely certifies under Section 22.48 that an industrial process waste or pollution control waste is not special waste commits a Class 4 felony for a first offense and commits a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense.

(7) In addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, a person convicted of violating this subsection (h) is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of such violation.

(i) Verification.

(1) Each application for a permit or license to dispose of, transport, treat, store or generate hazardous waste under this Act shall contain an affirmation that the facts are true and are made under penalty of perjury as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961. It is perjury for a person to sign any such application for a permit or license which contains a false material statement, which he does not believe to be true.

(2) Each request for money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund shall contain an affirmation that the facts are true and are made under penalty of perjury as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961. It is perjury for a person to sign any request that contains a false material statement that he does not believe to be true.

(j) Violations of Other Provisions.

(1) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to violate:

(A) subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(B) subsection (g) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) any term or condition of any Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit;

(D) any filing requirement, regulation, or order relating to the State Underground Injection Control (UIC) program;

(E) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 13 of this Act;

(F) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 39 of this Act;

(G) any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued under this Act or any term or condition of such permit;

(H) subsection (h) of Section 12 of this Act;

(I) subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act;

(J) any provision of any regulation, standard or filing requirement under Section 39.5 of this Act; or

(K) a provision of the Procedures for Asbestos Emission Control in subsection (c) of Section 61.145 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations;

(L) any provision of Section 56.1 of this Act.

(2) A person convicted of a violation of subdivision (1) of this subsection commits a Class 4 felony, and in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law is subject to a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each day of such violation.

(3) A person who negligently violates the following shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each day of such violation:

(A) subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(B) subsection (g) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 13 of this Act;

(D) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under subsection (b) of Section 39 of this Act;

(E) any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued under this Act;

(F) subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act; or

(G) any provision of any regulation, standard, or filing requirement under Section 39.5 of this Act.

(4) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to:

(A) make any false statement, representation, or certification in an application form, or form pertaining to, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit;

(B) render inaccurate any monitoring device or record required by the Agency or Board in connection with any such permit or with any discharge which is subject to the provisions of subsection (f) of Section 12 of this Act;

(C) make any false statement, representation, or certification in any form, notice or report pertaining to a CAAPP permit under Section 39.5 of this Act;

(D) render inaccurate any monitoring device or record required by the Agency or Board in connection with any CAAPP permit or with any emission which is subject to the provisions of Section 39.5 of this Act; or

(E) violate subsection 6 of Section 39.5 of this Act or any CAAPP permit, or term or condition thereof, or any fee or filing requirement.

(5) A person convicted of a violation of subdivision (4) of this subsection commits a Class A misdemeanor, and in addition to any other penalties provided by law is subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 for each day of violation.

(k) Criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator.

(1) A person commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator when, in the course of operating a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator, he knowingly and without justification operates the incinerator (i) without an Agency permit, or in knowing violation of the terms of an Agency permit, and (ii) as a result of such violation, knowingly places any person in danger of great bodily harm or knowingly creates an immediate or long term material danger to the public health or the environment.

(2) Any person who commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator for the first time commits a Class 4 felony and, in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $100,000 for each day of the offense.

Any person who commits the offense of criminal operation of a hazardous waste or PCB incinerator for a second or subsequent time commits a Class 3 felony and, in addition to any other penalties prescribed by law, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $250,000 for each day of the offense.

(3) For the purpose of this subsection (k), the term "hazardous waste or PCB incinerator" means a pollution control facility at which either hazardous waste or PCBs, or both, are incinerated. "PCBs" means any substance or mixture of substances that contains one or more polychlorinated biphenyls in detectable amounts.

(l) It shall be the duty of all State and local law enforcement officers to enforce this Act and the regulations adopted hereunder, and all such officers shall have authority to issue citations for such violations.

(m) Any action brought under this Section shall be brought by the State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or by the Attorney General, and shall be conducted in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.

(n) For an offense described in this Section, the period for commencing prosecution prescribed by the statute of limitations shall not begin to run until the offense is discovered by or reported to a State or local agency having the authority to investigate violations of this Act.

(o) In addition to any other penalties provided under this Act, if a person is convicted of (or agrees to a settlement in an enforcement action over) illegal dumping of waste on the person's own property, the Attorney General, the Agency or local prosecuting authority shall file notice of the conviction, finding or agreement in the office of the Recorder in the county in which the landowner lives.

(p) Criminal Disposal of Waste.

(1) A person commits the offense of Criminal Disposal of Waste when he or she:

(A) if required to have a permit under subsection (d) of Section 21 of this Act, knowingly conducts a waste-storage, waste-treatment, or waste-disposal operation in a quantity that exceeds 250 cubic feet of waste without a permit; or

(B) knowingly conducts open dumping of waste in violation of subsection (a) of Section 21 of this Act.

(2) (A) A person who is convicted of a violation of item (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first offense and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $25,000 for each day of violation. A person who is convicted of a violation of item (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $50,000 for each day of violation.

(B) A person who is convicted of a violation of item (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. However, a person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of item (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection for the open dumping of waste in a quantity that exceeds 250 cubic feet is guilty of a Class 4 felony and, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, is subject to a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each day of violation.

(Source: P.A. 89-235, eff. 8-4-95; 90-219, eff. 7-25-97; 90-344, eff. 1-1-98; 90-502, eff. 8-19-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.