Utah Administrative Code
Topic - Natural Resources
Title R655 - Natural Resources, Water Rights
Rule R655-14 - Administrative Procedures for Enforcement Proceedings Before the Division of Water Rights
Section R655-14-4 - Definitions

(a) "Administrative Penalty" means a monetary fine or water replacement ordered by the Presiding Officer to be paid or accomplished by the respondent in response to a violation of, or a failure to comply with, a law administered by the State Engineer, or any rule, regulation, license, permit or order adopted pursuant to the State Engineer's authority.

(b) "Cease and Desist Order" (CDO) means a written order issued by the State Engineer or the Enforcement Engineer requiring a respondent to cease and desist violations and/or directing that positive steps be taken to mitigate any harm or damage arising from the violation, including a notice of administrative penalties to which a respondent may be subject. CDO's are further described in Section R655-14-11. A CDO constitutes an Initial Order (IO), whether issued alone or in conjunction with a Notice of Violation (NOV).

(c) "Consent Order" means an order issued by the Presiding Officer reflecting a stipulated and voluntary agreement between the parties concerning the resolution of an enforcement adjudicative proceeding. A Consent Order constitutes a Final Judgment and Order.

(d) "Default Order" means an order issued by the Presiding Officer after a respondent fails to participate or continue to participate in an enforcement proceeding. A Default Order constitutes a Final Judgment and Order.

(e) "Distribution Order" means a written order from the State Engineer that includes any or all of the following:

(f) "Division" means the Division of Water Rights.

(g) "Economic Benefit" means the benefit actually or potentially realized and/or a cost actually or potentially avoided by a violator as a result of unlawful activity defined as a violation in an IO.

(h) "Enforcement Costs" means a monetary sum ordered by the Presiding Officer to be paid by a respondent for any expense incurred by the State Engineer in investigating and stopping a violation of, or a failure to comply as defined herein. Enforcement costs are further defined in this rule at Subsection R655-14-12(6). Collection of said costs is authorized at Subsection 73-2-26(1)(a)(iii).

(i) "Enforcement Engineer" means the State Engineer or an authorized delegate who may commence and prosecute an enforcement action pursuant to Subsection 73-2-25(2)(a).

(j) "Filed" means timely submitted to the Division pursuant to Subsection R655-14-8(3).

(k) "Files" means information maintained in the Division's public records, which may include both paper and electronic information.

(l) "Final Judgment and Order" means a final decision issued by the Presiding Officer on the whole or a part of an enforcement adjudicative proceeding. This definition includes "Consent Orders" and "Default Orders."

(m) "Initial Administrative Penalty" means an administrative fine, a requirement to replace water unlawfully taken, and/or the enforcement costs required to be repaid as these are described and set forth in the Initial Order (IO) as required at Subsection 73-2-25(2)(b)(ii). These penalties do not include accrued penalties for violations continuing past the date of the IO.

(n) "Initial Order" (IO) means a Notice of Violation and/or a Cease and Desist Order.

(o) "Issued" as it applies to an IO or a Final Judgment and Order means the document has been executed by an authorized delegate of the State Engineer (in the case of an IO) or by the Presiding Officer (in other cases) and deposited in the mail.

(p) "Knowing" or "Knowingly" as used in Section 73-2-26, means the same as the definition contained in Section 76-2-103. A person engages in conduct knowingly, or with knowledge with respect to his conduct or to circumstances surrounding his conduct when he is aware of the nature of his conduct or the existing circumstances. A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to a result of his conduct when he is aware that his conduct is reasonably certain to cause the result.

(q) "License" means the express grant of permission or authority by the State Engineer to carry on an activity or to perform an act, which, without such permission or authority, would otherwise be a violation of State law, rule or regulation.

(r) "Location" means the current residential or business address of a party as recorded in the Division's files. If a current residential address is not available for an individual, "location" means an employment or business address if known, or nonresidential mailing address such as a Post Office Box or Rural Route, at which a party whose location information is being sought receives mail.

(s) "Mitigation" means compensation acceptable to the Division for injury caused by a stream channel or dam safety violation.

(t) "Noncompliance" or "Nonconformance" or "Failure to Comply" or "Violation" each means any act or failure to act which constitutes or results in:

(u) "Notice of Violation" (NOV) means a written notice issued by the Enforcement Engineer that informs a respondent of Water and Irrigation Code violations. Notice of Violation is further described in Section R655-14-11. A NOV constitutes an Initial Order (IO), whether issued alone or in conjunction with a Cease and Desist Order (CDO).

(v) "Participate" means, in an enforcement proceeding that was commenced by an IO, to:

(w) "Party" means the State Engineer, an authorized delegate of the State Engineer, and/or the respondent(s).

(x) "Permit" means an authorization, license, or equivalent control document issued by the State Engineer to implement the requirements of any federally delegated program or Utah law administered or enforced by the State Engineer.

(y) "Person" means an individual, trust, firm, joint stock company, corporation (including a quasi- governmental corporation), partnership, association, syndicate, municipality, municipal or state agency, fire district, club, non-profit agency or any subdivision, commission, department bureau, agency, department or political subdivision of State or Federal Government (including quasi-governmental corporation) or of any interstate body and any agent or employee thereof.

(z) "Post Initial Order Penalty Adjustments" means those adjustments, in the form of increases or decreases, made by the Presiding Officer to the initial administrative penalties assessed in the IO in consideration of information pertaining to the violation.

(aa) "Presiding Officer" means the State Engineer or an authorized delegate of the State Engineer who conducts an enforcement adjudicative proceeding.

(ab) "Record" means the official collection of all written and electronic materials produced in an enforcement proceeding, including but not limited to the IO, pleadings, motions, exhibits, orders and testimony produced during the adjudicative proceedings, as well as the files of the Division as defined herein.

(ac) "Respondent" means any person against whom the Enforcement Engineer commences an enforcement action by issuing an IO.

(ad) "Requirement" means any law administered by the State Engineer, or any rule, regulation, permit, license or order issued or granted pursuant to the State Engineer's authority.

(ae) "State Engineer" is the Director and agency head of the Division of Water Rights in whom ultimate legal authority is vested by Sections 73-2-1 and 73-2-1.2.

(af) "Unknowingly" or "Not Knowing" means the converse of the definition of "Knowingly" contained in Section 76-2-103. A person engages in conduct unknowingly, or without knowledge with respect to his conduct or to circumstances surrounding his conduct when he is unaware of the nature of his conduct or the existing circumstances. A person acts unknowingly, or without knowledge, with respect to a result of his conduct when he is unaware that his conduct is reasonably certain to cause the result.

(ag) "Water Commissioner" or "Commissioner" means a person appointed to distribute water within a water distribution system pursuant to Section 73-5-1 and Section R655-15.

(ah) "Well" means an open or cased excavation or borehole for diverting, using, or monitoring underground water made by any construction method.

(ai) "Well driller" means a person with a license to engage in well drilling for compensation or otherwise.

(aj) "Well drilling" means the act of drilling, constructing, repairing, renovating, deepening, cleaning, developing, or abandoning a well.