Colorado § 8-20.5-107 - Enforcement orders - civil penalties.

§ 8-20.5-107. Enforcement orders - civil penalties.

(1) A notice of violation may be issued by the director of the division of oil and public safety to any person who is believed to have violated any provision of this article, any rule promulgated pursuant thereto, or any warrant issued pursuant to section 8-20.5-208. The notice of violation shall be served personally or by certified mail, return receipt requested, upon the alleged violator.

(2) The notice of violation shall set forth the facts which allegedly constitute the violation and the provisions which have allegedly been violated of either this article or any regulation promulgated pursuant thereto. The notice of violation may require the alleged violator to take any actions necessary to correct the alleged violation.

(3) Within ten working days after service of the notice of violation, the alleged violator may file a written request with the director of the division of oil and public safety for an informal conference regarding the notice of violation. If the alleged violator fails to timely request an informal conference, all provisions of the notice of violation shall become final and not subject to further administrative review. The director of the division of oil and public safety may then seek judicial enforcement of the notice of violation.

(4) Upon receipt of the written request, the director of the division of oil and public safety shall provide the alleged violator with a written notice of the date, time, and place of the informal conference. The director of the division of oil and public safety or a designee shall preside at the informal conference, during which the alleged violator and the entity that issued the notice of violation may present information and arguments regarding the allegations and requirements of the notice of violation.

(5) Within twenty working days after the informal conference, the director of the division of oil and public safety shall uphold, modify, or strike the allegations of the notice of violation and may issue an enforcement order. The decision shall be served upon the alleged violator personally or by certified mail, return receipt requested. Such notice of violation or enforcement order may be appealed within twenty working days to the executive director of the department. The executive director may either conduct the hearing personally or appoint an administrative law judge from the office of administrative courts in the department of personnel to conduct the hearing. The executive director may review such decision in accordance with the provisions of section 24-4-105, C.R.S., and final agency action shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of said section. Such final agency action shall be subject to judicial review in accordance with section 24-4-106, C.R.S.

(6) The enforcement order may require the alleged violator to pay a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars per tank for each day of violation.

(7) The director of the division of oil and public safety may file suit in the district court for the judicial district in which violations have occurred to obtain judicial enforcement of the provisions of any enforcement order. The petroleum storage tank fund may be subrogated to the rights of an owner or operator with respect to a claimed amount at the time a claim is filed with the fund.

Source: L. 95: Entire article added, p. 398, § 1, effective July 1; (5) amended, p. 634, § 12, effective July 1. L. 2001: (1), (3), (4), (5), and (7) amended, p. 1127, § 47, effective June 5. L. 2005: (5) amended, p. 853, § 8, effective June 1.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 8-20-512 as it existed prior to 1995.