Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-5. Discovery of environmental noncompliance
In order to qualify for the compliance incentives set forth in § 42-17.8-3, a regulated entity‘s discovery of violations must:
(1) Be followed by submission to the department of an accurate and complete documentation regarding how it exercises due diligence to prevent, detect and correct violations according to the criteria for due diligence outlined in § 42-17.8-2; and
(2) Be the result of voluntary activities and not the result of legally mandated monitoring, sampling or reporting requirement prescribed by environmental law, a judicial or administrative order, or a consent agreement. For example, this chapter shall not apply to:
(i) Emissions violations detected through a continuous emissions monitor (or alternative monitor established in a permit where that monitoring is required);
(ii) Violations of national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) discharge limits detected through required sampling or monitoring;
(iii) Violations discovered through an environmental audit required to be performed by the terms of an administrative or court order or settlement agreement.
History of Section.
P.L. 1997, ch. 196, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 141, § 1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-5
- Department: means the department of environmental management. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-2
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Due diligence: means a regulated entity's regular, customary and systematic efforts to prevent, detect and correct violations by consistently employing practices in its operation that ensures protection of the natural environment through the use of an environmental management system. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-2
- Environmental audit: means a systematic, documented, and objective review of a regulated entity's facility operations and occupational practices which affect the regulated entity's compliance with environmental laws. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-2
- Environmental law: means all federal, state or municipal statutes, rules, regulations, permits, licenses or other legal requirements that are administered or enforced by the department, and shall also include any judicial or administrative order or consent agreement. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-2
- Regulated entity: means any person including a federal, state or municipal agency or facility, regulated under federal or state environmental laws. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-17.8-2
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.