ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
April
20,
1995
COUNTY OF OGLE,
)
)
Complainant,
)
v.
)
AC 94—37
(SA—R—1002)
CITY OF ROCHELLE
AND
)
(Administrative Citation)
ROCHELLE DISPOSAL
)
SERVICE,
INC.
)
)
Respondent.
INTERIM OPINION
AND
ORDER OF THE BOARD
(by J.
‘11):
On June 13,
1994,
the complainant County of Ogle
(County)
filed an administrative citation against the City of Rochelle
(City) and Rochelle Disposal Inc.
(Disposal).
The administrative
citation alleges that the City and Disposal violated Sections
21(o)(l),
(5)
and
(12) of the Environmental Protection Act (Act).
(415 ILCS 5/21(0) (1),
(5) and
(12)
(1992)
.)
The County
is vested
with the authority to bring such a citation pursuant to Section
31.1 of the Act
(415 ILCS 5/31.1)
and a delegation of authority
agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
statutorily authorized in Section 4(r)
of the Act.
(415 ILCS
5/4(r).)
Respondent, Disposal,
filed a timely petition for
review on June 27,
1994.
No hearings have been held in this
matter.
On March 22,
1995, the County and Disposal filed a
“Stipulated Settlement” pursuant to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 103.180(a).
In the proposed settlement, the County would withdraw one count
of the administration citation, Disposal would admit to the other
two alleged violations, and pay a $1,200 fine.
The Stipulated
Settlement requests “...that Board order Respondents to pay six
hundred dollars ($600.00)
for each violation for a total of
twelve hundred dollars
($1,200.00).”
Section 42(b)(4)
of the Act establishes
a set civil penalty
per violation brought under an administrative citation.
Section
42(b)(4)
states in particular “ijn
an administrative citation
action under Section 31.1 of this Act, any person found to have
violated any provision
...
shall pay a civil penalty of $500 for
each violation of each such provision
...“
(415 ILCS 5/42(b) (4)
(1992).)
The proposed Stipulated Settlement requests the Board
to assess a six hundred dollar ($600.00) civil penalty for each
violation.
The Board is without statutory authority to find a
violation and assess discretionary civil penalties for any amount
other than five hundred dollars
($500.00) per violation.
Therefore the Board cannot issue an order finding the respondents
2
in violation of Sections
2
1(o)
(5) and
(12)
of the Act and assess
a twelve hundred dollar ($1,200.00)
civil penalty.
Additionally
the proposed Stipulated Settlement does not have any indication
that respondent,
City of Rochelle, was a party to this agreement.
As the Board has previously found, both the City and Disposal are
jointly and severally liable for any finding of violation.
(See
County of O~le
V.
Rochelle Disposal,
Inc. and City of Rochelle,
(August 26,
1993), AC 92-64,
and Sangamon County v. The Illinois
National Bank of Springfield.
n/k/a First of America Trust Co.
and Ray Landers,
(April 21,
1994), AC 93—30.)
For these reasons, the Board will propose a revised
Stipulated Settlement pursuant to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 103.180(c)
which states in pertinent part:
C)
The Board shall consider such proposed settlement
and stipulation and the hearing record.
The Board may
accept,
suggest revisions in, reject the proposed
settlement and stipulation, or direct further hearings
as it appears appropriate.
(Emphasis added.)
The parties may accept the Board’s revised Stipulated Settlement
as suggested in the order or renegotiate
a new Stipulated
Settlement that is consistent with this order.
If the parties do
not accept the revised Stipulated Settlement, they shall file
with the Board a new Stipulated Settlement which is consistent
with this order,
or any other appropriate motion, on or before
May 5,
1995.
If the parties accept the revised Stipulated
Settlement they shall file jointly with the Board a signed
agreement of that fact on or before May
12,
1995.
The Board rejects the proposed Stipulated Settlement and
hereby proposes a revised Stipulated Settlement as follows:
1.
The complainant, County of Ogle, withdraws the alleged
violation of Section 2l(o)(l)
of the Act, paragraph 5(c)
of
the administrative citation.
2.
The respondents, the City of Rochelle and Rochelle
Disposal Service,
Inc. admit to violating Section 21(o)(5)
and
(12)
of the Act, paragraph 5(a)
and
(b)
of the
administrative citation, and Rochelle Disposal,
Inc.
withdraws its petition for review.
3.
It is hereby ordered that,
unless the penalty has
already been paid, respondents, which are jointly and
severally liable,
shall pay a penalty of $1000.00 by
certified check or money order, payable to the County of
Ogle on or before May 31,
1995.
4.
The respondents shall write the case name and number,
3
and its social security number or federal Employer
Identification Number, on the certified check or money
order.
5.
Penalties unpaid after the due date shall accrue
interest pursuant to Section 42(g)
of the Environmental
Protection Act.
6.
Payment of this penalty does not prevent future
prosecution if the violation continues.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, Dorothy M. Gunn,
Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the above interim~opinion and order
was adopted on the ~
day of
_______________,
1995,
by a
vote of
_______.
Illinois Pol
Control Board