2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 30 — Minerals, oil, and gas and environmental quality
RS 30:2373 — Failure to report; penalties

§2373. Failure to report; penalties

A. All owners and operators shall be required to report the information required under R.S. 30:2369 of this Chapter regarding the manufacture, storage, or use of hazardous materials by no later than March 1, 1988, and by March first of each year thereafter.

B.(1) Owners and operators shall immediately notify the department of any reportable releases, other than a federally or state permitted release or application of a pesticide or fertilizer, of a hazardous material or substance listed pursuant to this Chapter exceeding the reportable quantity when that reportable quantity could be reasonably expected to escape the site of the facility, as soon as the owner or operator has knowledge of such release. Failure to do so shall subject owners and operators to civil penalties as provided in Subsection C of this Section.

(2) Any reportable release of any hazardous material regulated by this Chapter which causes any injury requiring hospitalization or any fatality or any release which results in a fire or explosion which could reasonably be expected to affect the public safety beyond the boundaries of the facility shall be reported immediately to the department.

(3) Any incident, accident, or cleanup within a facility, which could reasonably be expected to affect public safety beyond the boundaries of the facility or where the owner or operator knows a protective action beyond the boundaries of the facility has been initiated, shall be reported immediately to the department.

(4) Any release or incident that occurs within the boundaries of a facility and may be subject to reporting under this Section shall not be reportable by the owner or operator of the facility, or the employees, non-commercial carriers, contractors, or consultants of such owner or operator pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 12 of Title 32 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, unless such release or incident involves a railcar that is in transportation and the owner or operator of the facility is required to report the release or incident under 49 C.F.R. 171.15.

(5) The department shall not subject an owner or operator to a civil penalty as provided in Subsection C based on any incident or release that was not required to be reported under this Section and that was reported by the owner or operator as a courtesy.

(6) The secretary may develop rules and regulations to implement and clarify the reporting requirements of this Subsection and to address changes in federal regulations.

(7) The Department of Environmental Quality shall make available to the public for examination any information contained in reports required pursuant to R.S. 30:2025(J), 2060(H), and 2076(D).

C.(1) For owners and operators who knowingly fail to file an inventory form on hazardous materials as required by this Chapter by March 1, 1988, and by March first of each year thereafter, the department may levy a civil penalty which shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per hazardous material not reported. Small businesses who have an omission from the inventory reporting forms shall receive a warning only for their first offense.

(2) The department may also levy a civil penalty not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per violation for failure to timely report nonpermitted releases pursuant to R.S. 30:2373(B).

(3) For owners and operators who knowingly fail to report a reportable release of a hazardous material regulated by this Chapter, the department may assess a civil penalty not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per violation per day.

(4) The department shall consider, in determining whether to assess a fine, the financial situation of owners and operators of small businesses as well as any willfulness in failing to comply with the provisions of this Chapter. Such fines shall be deposited in the Right-to-Know Fund pursuant to R.S. 30:2380.

D.(1) Any person who handles, stores, or otherwise maintains a hazardous material regulated by this Chapter in a negligent or unreasonable manner without regard for the hazards of the material and causes a significant impact to public health and safety as a result of a reportable release of a hazardous material shall be in violation of this Subsection.

(2) For any person, owner, operator, or facility that violates this Subsection, the department may levy a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars per violation.

E.(1) No person shall intentionally handle, store, or otherwise maintain any hazardous material regulated by this Chapter in a manner which endangers human life.

(2) Any person, owner, operator, or facility that willfully violates this Subsection may be assessed a civil penalty by the department not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars per violation per day or upon first conviction shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. Upon second or subsequent conviction of a violation of R.S. 30:2373(E)(1), said person, owner, operator, or facility shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than six months nor more than ten years.

F.(1) Any owner or operator who causes a reportable release that requires a significant emergency response by the department or is in violation of Subsection D of this Section shall reimburse the department for reasonable and extraordinary costs of emergency response, including actions taken by the department to mitigate such reportable release.

(2) Reimbursement to the department pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall preclude reimbursement for the same incident to the department from other response funds, including but not limited to the Hazardous Waste Protection Fund, R.S. 30:2198, the Motor Fuels Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund, R.S. 30:2195, et seq., and the Oil Spill Contingency Fund, R.S. 30:2483, et seq.

(3) An owner or operator of a small business shall not be responsible for the emergency response costs of the department in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars.

Acts 1985, No. 435, §1, eff. July 11, 1985; Acts 1987, No. 347, §1; Acts 1992, No. 665, §§1, 2; Acts 1992, No. 984, §9; Acts 1995, No. 850, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1046, §1; Acts 1999, No. 355, §1, eff. June 16, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 1087, §1; Acts 2008, No. 550, §1, eff. June 30, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 235, §1.