SB3704

What this bill does

Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Makes changes in provisions concerning the circumstances under which the executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District shall issue cease and desist orders and may issue orders to show cause and discontinue specified discharge-related violations. Provides that the Board of Commissioners of the District may order the party responsible for violations to pay a civil penalty that is not less than $1,500 nor more $5,000 per violation in show cause proceedings (rather than not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000 for each day of discharge). Further provides that violations occurring after the last cited violation may be included in a separate show cause proceeding or consolidated with the current show cause proceeding at the district's sole discretion. Specifies that the court may assess a civil penalty of not less than $1,500 nor more than $25,000 (rather than not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000) for each day an offending party violates a final order of the Board of Commissioners and for each violation when the offending party's discharge represents an imminent danger to public health, welfare, safety; presents an endangerment to the environment; or threatens to interfere with the sewerage system or a water reclamation plant under the jurisdiction of the district. For show cause and Board order violations, adds that, when multiple exceedances of pollutant limits occur in a single day, the number of violations in that day shall be the number of exceedances in that day and that each regulatory multiple day average that exceeds acceptable limits also constitute a separate violation. Makes other changes.