Whenever the Department has reasonable cause to believe that any person has violated or is threatening to violate any of the provisions of this Part, any of the terms of any permit issued pursuant to this Part, or a rule implementing this Part, the Department may, either before or after the institution of any other action or proceeding authorized by this Part, request the Attorney General to institute a civil action in the name of the State upon the relation of the Department for injunctive relief to restrain the violation or threatened violation and for such other and further relief in the premises as the court shall deem proper. The Attorney General may institute such action in the superior court of the county in which the violation occurred or may occur or, in his discretion, in the superior court of the county in which the person responsible for the violation or threatened violation resides or has his or its principal place of business. Upon a determination by the court that the alleged violation of the provisions of this Part or the regulations of the Commission has occurred or is threatened, the court shall grant the relief necessary to prevent or abate the violation or threatened violation. Neither the institution of the action nor any of the proceedings thereon shall relieve any party to such proceedings from any penalty prescribed for violation of this Part. For purposes of this section references to “this Part” include Part 1A of this Article and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-355(k) relating to water use information. (1951, c. 606; 1967, c. 892, s. 1; 1973, c. 698, s. 12; c. 712, s. 2; c. 1262, s. 23; c. 1331, s. 3; 1975, c. 583, s. 7; c. 842, ss. 6, 7; 1977, c. 771, s. 4; 1979, c. 633, ss. 9-11; 1981, c. 514, s. 1; c. 585, s. 13; 1987, c. 217; c. 827, ss. 154, 164; 1989, c. 426, s. 4; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1045, s. 3; 2007-536, s. 5.)