La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § I-7009

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section I-7009 - Program Scope

A. Procedures for Conducting Voluntary Environmental Self-Audits

1. Notice of Audit

a. The owner or operator shall notify the department prior to initiating a voluntary environmental audit in order to qualify for penalty mitigation.

b. The owner or operator shall use the department's most current version of the approved notice of audit form located on the department's public website.

c. A notice of audit shall be submitted in writing by certified mail or other means approved by the department.

d. The department shall acknowledge receipt of the notice of audit in writing.

2. Disclosure of Violation(s)

a. Disclosure of violation(s) shall be made by the owner or operator upon discovery of a violation as a result of the voluntary environmental audit. The violation(s) shall be properly disclosed and reported to the department by certified mail, or other means approved by the department, in order to qualify for penalty mitigation.

b. The owner or operator shall use the department's most current version of the approved disclosure of violation(s) form located on the department's public website.

c. The disclosure of violation shall include corrective actions, if applicable.

d. The department shall acknowledge receipt of the disclosure of violation in writing. The acknowledgement shall include a concurrence or rejection of the proposed corrective actions.

3. An environmental audit shall be completed within a reasonable time, not to exceed six months after the date the audit was initiated, unless the department grants an extension of time.

B. Requests for Extension of Time

1. Requirements for Requests for Extension of Time

a. If an audit cannot be completed within six months after the date of initiation, a request for extension of time shall be submitted in writing at least 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the audit period with sufficient information to justify an extension. Justification for an extension of time shall be limited to factors beyond the control of the owner or operator. A request without sufficient information shall result in a denial.

C. Corrective Actions

1. Corrective actions must be completed within 90 calendar days from the date of discovery of the violation unless a specific period is required by statute, regulation, or permit requirement.

a. Corrective actions must include detailed actions implemented, or to be implemented, to prevent recurrence of the violation and a scheduled date of completion.

b. Corrective actions that will take longer than 90 calendar days to complete must be submitted in writing and receive written approval from the department.

c. After completion of all corrective actions, a final written report shall be submitted to the department. The final written report shall include:

i. notice of audit;

ii. disclosure of violation(s); and

iii. certification of completion of all corrective actions.

d. Failure to notify, implement, and/or complete all proposed corrective actions shall be considered a violation and subject to the appropriate enforcement action.

D. Environmental Audit Report

1. The full environmental audit report should not be submitted to the department unless specifically requested by the department in writing.

E. Penalty Mitigation

1. The following nine conditions shall be met to be eligible for a 100 percent reduction in penalties.

a. The violation was systematically discovered through an environmental audit.

b. The violation was voluntarily disclosed. The violation was not discovered through a federal, state, or local requirement prescribed by statute, regulation, permit, judicial or administrative order, or a consent agreement.

c. The violation was disclosed in writing within 45 calendar days after discovery, unless an existing law or regulation required disclosure in fewer than 45 calendar days.

d. The violation was independently discovered and identified before the department would have identified the problem either through its investigation or through information from a third party. Discovery and disclosure will not be considered independent if:

i. prompted by the initiation of a department or EPA investigation, or information request;

ii. a notice of a citizen suit filed under federal or state law prior to the notice of an environmental audit;

iii. a third party complaint has been filed;

iv. or a whistleblower has reported the potential violation to the department.

e. The violation was corrected as expeditiously as possible, but no later than 90 calendar days from the date of discovery, unless an extension of time or compliance schedule was approved by the department.

f. The appropriate measure(s) to prevent a recurrence of the violation was implemented after the violation was disclosed.

g. The same or closely related violation has not occurred at the same facility within the past three years.

h. The violation is not excluded as listed in LAC 33:I.7007.A.

i. The owner or operator has cooperated by providing information as required by the department to determine eligibility.

2. If all of the conditions in LAC 33:I.7009.E.1 are met except systematic discovery, there will be a 75 percent reduction.

3. Failure to meet the required conditions will result in ineligibility for penalty reduction.

4. The department reserves the right to collect any monetary benefits realized through noncompliance.

F. Confidentiality

1. Disclosure of violation(s) or other documentation containing the results of a voluntary environmental self-audit authorized by R.S. 30:2044 shall be held confidential by the department, and be withheld from public disclosure until a final decision is made, or a period not to exceed two years from the receipt of the initial disclosure of violation, whichever occurs first. Any final decision made by the department shall be public and published on the department's website. However, nothing in this Paragraph shall prohibit a request for confidentiality pursuant to R.S. 30:2030(1)(b). Information that is required to be reported to a state or federal agency by statute, regulation, or permit, including but not limited to, notifications required by R.S. 30:2025(J), 30:2060(H), 30:2076(D), 30:2183(I), and 30:2204(A) shall not be held confidential.

2. All requests for confidentiality shall be submitted in accordance with LAC 33:I.Chapter 5.

La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § I-7009

Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs and Criminal Investigations Division, LR 492100 (12/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2044(C).