Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 18, September 16, 2024
PURPOSE: This rule establishes the procedures for
issuance and methods for calculation of administrative penalties by the
department.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The secretary of state has
determined that the publication of the entire text of the material, which is
incorporated by reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome
or expensive. This material as incorporated by reference in the rule shall be
maintained by the agency at its headquarters and shall be made available to the
public for inspection and copying at no more than the actual cost of
reproduction. This note applies only to the reference material. The entire text
of the rule is printed here.
(1) Applicability. This rule applies to any
licensed lead professional who violates the provisions of
19 CSR
30-70.630, Lead Abatement Work Practice
Standards.
(2) Definitions.
(A) Adjustments: Those factors related to a
violator or violation, which are not reflected in the gravity-based assessment
but which distinguish legitimate differences between separate violations of the
same provision.
(B) Compliance: A
regulated entity or individual's meeting or conformity with applicable
regulations, notifications, licensure requirements, and laws.
(C) Department: Shall refer to the Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services.
(D) Enforcement: A formal action taken
against the regulated entity or individual for violating applicable
regulations, notifications, licensure requirements, and laws. Such actions
include, but are not limited to, Notice of Violation (NOV), warning letters,
administrative penalties, cease and desist order, and/or licensure restriction,
revocation, suspension, and/or denial.
(E) Gravity-based assessment: The degree of
seriousness of a violation taking into consideration the risk to public health
and/or the environment posed by the violation and considering the extent of
deviation from sections 701.300-701.338, RSMo.
(F) Identified offense: A violation meeting
the requirements specified in subsection (3)(B) of this rule in which
administrative penalties may be assessed by the department.
(G) Lead abatement project: The replacement,
encapsulation, enclosure, or removal of a lead-bearing substance on a
particular component within a particular location, which will remove or
remediate the lead hazard(s) for at least twenty (20) years.
(H) Multiple violation penalty: The sum of
individual administrative penalties assessed when two (2) or more violations
are included in the same complaint or enforcement action.
(I) Multi-day penalty: The sum of each day's
administrative penalties assessed when the same violation has occurred on or
continued for two (2) or more consecutive or non-consecutive days.
(J) Multi-day violation: A violation which
has occurred on or continued for two (2) or more consecutive or nonconsecutive
days.
(K) Noncompliance: Deviation
from or failure to meet applicable regulations, notifications, licensure
requirements, and laws. Noncompliance can range from a single incident to
chronic conduct. Noncompliance may result in a negative impact to public health
and/or the environment.
(L) Notice
of violation (NOV): The formal written documentation that reflects the
deviation from or failure of the lead abatement contractor, supervisor, or
worker to meet applicable regulations, notifications, licensure requirements,
and laws. A notice of violation shall include the corrective action(s) to be
performed to achieve compliance.
(M) Notification: A required package of
information submitted to the department by the lead supervisor at least ten
(10) days prior to the onset of a lead abatement project. The notification
shall include a completed Lead Abatement Project Notification form, as required
by the department; full payment of the notification fee prior to starting the
lead abatement project; and disclosure of any potential lead hazards to the
owners and tenants of a dwelling by the Missouri licensed risk assessor who
conducted the initial risk assessment (occupant protection plan). The Lead
Abatement Project Notification form, MO 580-2365 (1-05), is incorporated by
reference in this rule and is available on the web at
www.dhss.mo.gov or by contacting
the department at PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570, (573) 751-6111.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions.
(N) Violation: The
deviation from or failure of the licensed lead professional to meet applicable
regulations, notifications, licensure requirements, and laws which require
corrective action(s).
(3) General Provisions.
(A) Pursuant to section
701.317,
RSMo, and in addition to any other remedy provided by law, upon determination
by the department that any provision of sections 701.300-701.338, RSMo, or a
standard, limitation, order, rule, or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto,
or a term or condition of any license has been violated, the department may
issue an order assessing an administrative penalty upon the violator.
(B) An administrative penalty shall not be
imposed until the department has issued a notice of violation pursuant to
section
701.311,
RSMo, to the violator regarding the same type of violation within the calendar
year except a failure to provide written notification prior to the onset of a
lead abatement project according to section 701.309.3, RSMo. An order assessing
an administrative penalty shall state that an administrative penalty is being
assessed under section
701.317,
RSMo, the manner of collection and rights of appeal.
(C) An order assessing an administrative
penalty shall describe the nature of the violation(s), the amount of the
administrative penalty being assessed, and the basis of the penalty
calculation.
(D) An order assessing
an administrative penalty shall be served upon the licensee through the United
States Postal Service certified mail, return receipt requested. An order
assessing an administrative penalty shall be considered served if the licensee
verifies receipt. A refusal to accept an order assessing an administrative
penalty, or a rejection of certified mail, constitutes service of the
order.
(E) The department may, at
any time, withdraw without prejudice any administrative penalty
order.
(4) Calculation
of Penalties. The calculation of administrative penalties may include any of
the following four (4) factors: gravity-based assessment, multiple violation
penalties, multi-day penalties, and adjustments.
(A) Gravity-Based Assessment. The
gravity-based assessment is determined by evaluating the potential for harm
posed by the violation and the extent to which the violation deviates from the
requirements of the law, associated rules, or licenses.
1. Potential for or actual harm. The
potential for harm posed by a violation is based on the risk to public health,
safety, or the environment and the degree that the violation undermines the
purposes of or procedures for implementing the law, associated rules, or
licenses.
A. The risk of exposure is
dependent on both the likelihood that humans or the environment may be exposed
to lead hazards and the degree of potential exposure. Penalties will reflect
the probability that the violation either did result in or could have resulted
in a release of lead contamination in the environment and the harm, which
either did or would have happened if the release had in fact occurred.
(I) Acute-
(a) The violation poses or may pose an
immediate or imminent risk to public health and/or the environment;
or
(b) Is a violation specified in
the Department of Health and Senior Services Lead Abatement Work Practice
Standards Enforcement Manual as Acute Noncompliance. The manual is incorporated
by reference in this rule as published May 1, 2009, by the Department of Health
and Senior Services and is available on the web at
www.dhss.mo.gov or by contacting
the department at PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570, (573) 751-6111.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions.
(II)
Significant-
(a) The violation poses or may
pose a considerable risk to public health and/or the environment;
(b) The violation has or may have a
substantial adverse effect on the purposes of or procedures for implementing
sections 701.300-701.338, RSMo; or
(c) Is a violation specified in the
Department of Health and Senior Services Lead Abatement Work Practice Standards
Enforcement Manual as Significant Noncompliance. The manual is incorporated by
reference in this rule as published May 1, 2009, by the Department of Health
and Senior Services and is available on the web at
www.dhss.mo.gov or by contacting
the department at PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570, (573) 751-6111.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions.
B.
Violations which may or may not pose a potential threat to public health or the
environment, but which have an adverse effect upon the purposes of or
procedures for implementing the law, associated rules, or licenses, may warrant
the assessment of penalties.
(I) Minor-
(a) The violation poses a low or minimal risk
to public health and/or the environment;
(b) The violation has or may have an adverse
effect on the purposes of or procedures for implementing sections
701.300-701.338, RSMo; or
(c) Is a
violation specified in the Department of Health and Senior Services Lead
Abatement Work Practice Standards Enforcement Manual as Minor Noncompliance.
The manual is incorporated by reference in this rule as published May 1, 2009,
by the Department of Health and Senior Services and is available on the web at
www.dhss.mo.gov or by contacting
the department at PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570, (573) 751-6111.
This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or
additions.
2. Extent of deviation. The extent of
deviation may range from slight to total disregard of the requirements of the
law, associated rules, or licenses. The extent of deviation shall be evaluated
according to the degree of severity.
3. Gravity-based penalty assessment.
Administrative penalties will be assessed based on significance, acuity, and
extent of deviation. The penalty range selected may be adapted to the
circumstances of a particular violation.
(B) Penalties for Multiple Violations.
Penalties for multiple violations may be determined when a violation is
independent of or substantially different from any other violation. The
department may order a separate administrative penalty for that violation as
set forth in this rule.
(C)
Penalties for Multi-Day Violations. Penalties for multi-day violations may be
determined when the department has concluded that a violation(s) has continued
or occurred for more than one (1) day. Each day shall be a separate
offense.
(D) Adjustments. The
department may adjust the penalty after consideration of the following:
1. Good faith efforts to comply. The
department may decrease a penalty amount if the violator has adequately
documented good faith efforts taken prior to a compliance inspection and the
discovery of the violation;
2. The
amount of control the violator had over the events constituting the
violation;
3. The foreseeability of
the events constituting the violation;
4. Whether the violator took reasonable
precautions against the events constituting the violation; and
5. History of noncompliance.
(E) Payment. Administrative
penalties shall be made payable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services in the form of a cashier's check or money order and mailed to the
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Attention: Fee Receipts
Unit, PO Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The department may negotiate a
delayed payment schedule, installment plan, or penalty reduction with
stipulated penalties.
(5) Penalties Assessed. The department shall
only impose an administrative penalty, after a notice of violation has been
issued pursuant to section
701.311,
RSMo, against the violator who has conducted the same type of violation within
the calendar year, except a failure to provide written notification prior to
the onset of a lead abatement project according to 701.309.3, RSMo. Failure to
notify the department prior to the onset of a lead abatement project shall
result in a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) imposed against the lead
abatement contractor for the first identified offense, five hundred dollars
($500) for the second identified offense, and, thereafter, fines shall be
doubled up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each additional identified
offense within the calendar year.
(A) Acute.
Acute violations shall result in a notice of violation and no administrative
penalty for the first identified offense, a notice of violation and an
administrative penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) imposed against the
regulated entity or individual for the second identified offense, a notice of
violation and an administrative penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for the
third identified offense, and, thereafter, a notice of violation and an
administrative penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each additional
identified offense within the calendar year.
(B) Significant. Significant violations shall
result in a notice of violation with no administrative penalty for the first
identified offense, a notice of violation and administrative penalties ranging
from one hundred to two hundred fifty dollars ($100-$250) imposed against the
regulated entity or individual for the second identified offense, a notice of
violation and an administrative penalty of two hundred to five hundred dollars
($200-$500) for the third identified offense, and, thereafter, a notice of
violation and an administrative penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for each
additional identified offense within the calendar year.
(C) Minor. Minor violations shall result in a
written warning and no administrative penalty for the first identified offense,
a notice of violation and no administrative penalty for the second identified
offense, a notice of violation and an administrative penalty of twenty-five
dollars ($25) imposed against the regulated entity or individual for the third
identified offense, a notice of violation and an administrative penalty of
fifty dollars ($50) for the fourth identified offense, and, thereafter, a
notice of violation and an administrative penalty of one hundred dollars ($100)
for each additional identified offense within the calendar year.
(6) Suspended or Revoked License
Penalties. Any lead inspector, risk assessor, lead abatement supervisor, lead
abatement worker, project designer, or lead abatement contractor who engages in
a lead abatement project while such person's license, issued under section
701.312,
RSMo, is under suspension or revocation is guilty of a class D
felony.
(7) Other Penalties. Except
as otherwise provided, violation of the provisions of sections
701.309,
701.311,
and
701.316,
RSMo, can be referred by the department for prosecution.
(8) Proceeds From Administrative Penalties.
The penalties collected pursuant to section
701.317(7),
RSMo, shall be deposited in the Missouri Lead
Abatement Loan Fund as established in section
701.337,
RSMo. Such penalties shall not be considered charitable contributions for tax
purposes.
(9) This rule may be used
as guidance in assessing civil and criminal penalties.
*Original authority: 701.311 , RSMo 1998, amended 2005;
701.317, RSMo 2005; and 701.337, RSMo 2000, amended
2005.