Section 1522.20 | Issuance of order of compliance.
(A)(1) The chief of the division of soil and water resources may issue an order to a person that the chief determines has violated, is violating, or is threatening to violate any provisions of this chapter, rules adopted under it, or permits or orders issued under it. The order shall be effective upon issuance and shall identify the facility where the violation has occurred, is occurring, or is threatened to occur, the specific violation, and actions that the owner or operator of the facility must take to comply with the order. The order shall establish a reasonable date by which the owner or operator must comply with the order.
(2) An order issued under division (A)(1) of this section shall be in writing and shall contain a finding of the facts on which the order is based. Notice of the order shall be given by certified mail to the applicable owner or operator of a facility. Notice also shall be provided to a person who initiated a complaint that resulted in the order and shall be posted on the web site of the department of natural resources in a manner prescribed by the chief.
(B)(1) The chief, by order, may propose to suspend or revoke a permit issued under this chapter if the chief determines that any term or condition of the permit is being violated. The chief's order shall identify the facility where the violation allegedly occurred, describe the nature of the violation, and prescribe what action the permittee may take to bring the facility into compliance with the permit. The chief shall fix and specify in the order a reasonable date or time by which the permittee must comply. The order shall state that the chief may suspend or revoke the permit if the permittee fails to comply with the order by that date or time. If on that date or time the chief finds that the permittee has not complied with the order, the chief may issue a new order suspending or revoking the permit.
(2) The chief or the chief's designee may enter on private or public lands and take action to mitigate, minimize, remove, or abate the conditions caused by a violation that is the subject of an order issued under division (B)(1) of this section.
(C) The attorney general, upon written request of the chief, shall bring an action for an injunction or other appropriate legal or equitable action against any person who has violated, is violating, or is threatening to violate any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it. The attorney general shall bring the action in the court of common pleas of Franklin county or the county where the applicable facility is located. In an action for injunction, any factual findings of the chief presented at a hearing conducted under division (A) of section 1522.21 of the Revised Code is prima-facie evidence of the facts regarding the order that is the subject of the hearing.
(D) A person who violates any provision of this chapter, any rule or order adopted or issued under it, or any term or condition of a permit issued under it is liable to the chief for any costs incurred by the division of soil and water resources in investigating, mitigating, minimizing, removing, or abating the violation and conditions caused by it. Upon the request of the chief, the attorney general shall bring a civil action against the responsible person to recover those costs in the court of common pleas of Franklin county. Moneys recovered under this division shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the water management fund created in section 1501.32 of the Revised Code.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 4, 2012 – House Bill 473 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 4, 2012 Version ]
- January 1, 2016 – House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly [ View January 1, 2016 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]