Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) The department
may assess an administrative penalty against a person who sells an abusable
volatile chemical at retail who violates the Act or a rule or order adopted
under this Act.
(b) A penalty
collected under this subchapter shall be deposited in the state treasury in the
general revenue fund.
(c) The
amount of the penalty may not exceed $1,000 for each violation, and each day a
violation continues or occurs is a separate violation for purposes of imposing
a penalty. The total amount of the penalty assessed for a violation continuing
or occurring on separate days under this subsection may not exceed
$5,000.
(d) In determining the
amount of the administrative penalty, the department shall consider:
(1) the seriousness of the violation,
including the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the
violation;
(2) the threat to health
or safety caused by the violation;
(3) the history of previous
violations;
(4) the amount
necessary to deter a future violation;
(5) whether the violator demonstrated good
faith, including when applicable whether the violator made good faith efforts
to correct the violation; and
(6)
any other matter that justice may require.
(e) Violations will be classified in one of
three severity levels.
(1) Critical Violation.
Severity Level III includes violations that are most significant and have a
direct negative impact on public health and safety. The penalty for a Level III
violation on first occurrence is up to $1000 per day, per violation. The same
violation continuing for more than one day is a separate violation. Examples of
Level III violations include but are not limited to:
(A) operating without a valid volatile
chemical sales permit for the location at which abusable volatile chemicals are
sold in violation of §
205.54
of this title (relating to Permit Requirements and Conditions);
(B) operating under a permit issued to
another person or for another location, in violation of §
205.54
of this title;
(C) falsifying
information required on the volatile chemical sales permit application under
§
205.56 of this
title (relating to Permit Application);
(D) failing to establish controls to restrict
a person under the age of 18 years from access to aerosol paints displayed for
retail sale at a business establishment as required under §
205.61(a)
of this title (relating to Restriction of Access to Aerosol Paint);
(E) interfering with, denying, or delaying
department representatives in conducting an inspection at the location at which
abusable volatile chemicals may be sold as required under §
205.63 of
this title (relating to Compliance Inspections); or
(F) committing any of the prohibited acts
listed under §
205.62
of this title (relating to Prohibited Acts).
(2) Serious violation. Severity Level II
includes violations that are significant and which, if not corrected, could
threaten public health and safety. The penalty for a Level II violation on
first occurrence is up to $750 per day, per violation. The same violation
continuing for more than one day constitutes a separate violation. Examples of
Level II violations include, but are not limited to:
(A) failing to have a volatile chemical sales
permit available for inspection by the public or department as required under
§
205.59
of this title (relating to Permit Available for Inspection);
(B) failing to display a volatile chemical
warning sign as required under §
205.60(a)
of this title (relating to Requirement to Post Sign); or
(C) failing to ensure that the controls
established under §
205.61(a)
of this title (relating to Restriction of Access to Aerosol Paint) are adequate
to restrict a person under the age of 18 from access to aerosol
paints.
(3) Significant
violation. Severity Level I includes violations that are of more than minor
significance and, if left uncorrected, could lead to more serious
circumstances. The penalty for a Level I violation on first occurrence is up to
$500 per day, per violation. The same violation continuing for more than one
day constitutes a separate violation. Examples of Level I violations include,
but are not limited to:
(A) failing to post a
volatile chemical warning sign in a conspicuous and prominent place as required
under §
205.60(b)
of this title; or
(B) posting a
volatile chemical warning sign that does not comply with the requirements under
§
205.60(c)
of this title.