§ 1-101 — Violations; civil penalties and injunctions

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, any person who violates any provision of this Act or any rule or order adopted under this Act or any permit issued under this Act shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $50,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each day during which the violation continues. (b) Any person who violates any requirements or prohibitions of provisions listed in this subsection (b) is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100,000 for the violation and an additional civil penalty not to exceed $20,000 for each day during which the violation continues. The following are violations are subject to the penalties of this subsection (b): (1) subsection (c) of Section 1-25 of this Act; (2) subsection (d) of Section 1-25 of this Act; (3) subsection (a) of Section 1-30 of this Act; (4) paragraph (9) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act; or (5) subsection (a) of Section 1-87 of this Act. (c) Any person who knowingly makes, submits, causes to be made, or causes to be submitted a false report of pollution, diminution, or water pollution attributable to high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing operations that results in an investigation by the Department or Agency under this Act shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 for the violation. (d) The penalty shall be recovered by a civil action before the circuit court of the county in which the well site is located or in the circuit court of Sangamon County. Venue shall be considered proper in either court. These penalties may, upon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction, be made payable to the Environmental Protection Trust Fund, to be used in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Act. (e) The State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or the Attorney General, may, at the request of the Department or on his or her own motion, institute a civil action for the recovery of costs, an injunction, prohibitory or mandatory, to restrain violations of this Act, any rule adopted under this Act, the permit or term or condition of the permit, or to require other actions as may be necessary to address violations of this Act, any rule adopted under this Act, or the permit or term or condition of the permit. (f) The State's Attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, or the Attorney General, shall bring actions under this Section in the name of the People of the State of Illinois. Without limiting any other authority that may exist for the awarding of attorney's fees and costs, a court of competent jurisdiction may award costs and reasonable attorney's fees, including the reasonable costs of expert witnesses and consultants, to the State's Attorney or the Attorney General in a case where he or she has prevailed against a person who has committed a knowing or repeated violation of this Act, any rule adopted under this Act, or the permit or term or condition of the permit. (g) All final orders imposing civil penalties under this Section shall prescribe the time for payment of those penalties. If any penalty is not paid within the time prescribed, interest on the penalty at the rate set forth in subsection (a) of Section 1003 of the Illinois Income Tax Act shall be paid for the period from the date payment is due until the date payment is received. However, if the time for payment is stayed during the pendency of an appeal, interest shall not accrue during the stay.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 98-22, eff. 6-17-13; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15.)