(a)  (1)  On the effective date of the act adding this section and for 179 days thereafter, a local agency shall only issue a notice to comply pursuant to this section to an owner or operator of an underground storage tank subject to Section 25290.1 that does not maintain the vacuum or pressure that is required by subdivision (e) of Section 25290.1, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(2)  If the violation described in paragraph (1) occurs on or after the 180th day from the effective date of the act adding this chapter, the local agency may take any enforcement action authorized by this chapter.

(b)  A local agency shall issue the notice to comply alleging a violation described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) by presenting a notice to comply to the owner or operator in writing, which meets all of the following requirements:

(1)  The notice to comply shall be written in the course of conducting an inspection by an authorized representative of the local agency.

(2)  A copy of the notice to comply shall be presented to a person who is an owner, operator, employee, or representative of the facility being inspected at the time that the notice to comply is written.

(3)  The notice to comply shall clearly state that a violation described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) was discovered, a means by which compliance may be achieved, and a time limit in which to comply, which shall not exceed 60 days. The local agency may provide a one-time extension of the time limit for compliance specified in the notice, not to exceed an additional 60 days, if the local agency determines that an extension is necessary to ensure compliance.

(4)  The notice to comply shall contain a statement that the inspected facility may be subject to reinspection at any time.

(c)  (1)  On or before five working days after the date the violation described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) is corrected, the person cited in the notice to comply or an authorized representative of that person shall sign the notice to comply, shall certify that the violation has been corrected, and shall return the notice to the local agency.

(2)  A false certification submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) that the violation is corrected is punishable as a misdemeanor.

(3)  The effective date of the certification that the violation has been corrected shall be the date that the certification is postmarked.

(d)  Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a person fails to correct the violation within the prescribed period in the notice, the local agency may take any enforcement action authorized by this chapter.

(e)  This section does not do any of the following:

(1)  Prevent the reinspection of a facility to ensure compliance.

(2)  Prevent a local agency, on a case-by-case basis, from requiring a person subject to a notice to comply to submit reasonable and necessary documentation to support a claim of compliance by the person.

(3)  Restrict the power of a city attorney, district attorney, county counsel, or the Attorney General to bring, in the name of the people of California, any criminal proceeding otherwise authorized by law.

(4)  Prevent the local agency, state board, or regional board, from cooperating with, or participating in, a proceeding specified in paragraph (3).

(f)  Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if the violation described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) is intentional or occurs as the result of gross negligence, the local agency may take any enforcement action authorized by this chapter.

(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 649, Sec. 2. Effective September 21, 2004.)