(a) The master of any ship, boat, barge or other vessel, or the person in charge of any terminal for the loading or unloading of any oil or petroleum or chemical liquids or solid, liquid or gaseous products, or hazardous wastes, or the person in charge of any establishment, or the operator of any vehicle, trailer or other machine which by accident, negligence or otherwise causes the discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration of oil or petroleum or chemical liquids or solid, liquid or gaseous products, or hazardous wastes which poses a potential threat to human health or the environment, shall immediately report to the commissioner such facts as the commissioner by regulation may require. Any such report shall include, but not be limited to, the location, the quantity and the type of substance, material or waste, the date and the cause of the discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration, the name and address of the owner of the ship, boat, barge or other vessel, terminal, establishment, vehicle, trailer or machine, and the name and address of the person making the report and his or her relationship to the owner. Any person who fails to make a report required by this section may be fined not more than one thousand dollars and the employer of such person may be fined not more than five thousand dollars, except that any person who fails to make a report relating to the discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration of gasoline shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and the employer of such person may be fined not more than ten thousand dollars.

(b) On and after the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the report described in subsection (a) of this section shall be required whenever the discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration of oil or petroleum or chemical liquids or solid, liquid or gaseous products, or hazardous wastes occurring on or after such date exceeds the applicable threshold adopted by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The reporting requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall apply until the effective date of such regulations.

(c) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to define the threshold amounts for discharges, spillages, uncontrolled losses, seepages or filtrations that shall be reported to the commissioner pursuant to this section. Such regulations may include the specification of any facts, in addition to those specified in subsection (a) of this section, that shall be included in any report submitted under this section.

(1969, P.A. 765, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 103; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-605, S. 4, 17; P.A. 94-108, S. 1; P.A. 95-218, S. 16; P.A. 00-175, S. 3, 4; P.A. 16-199, S. 1.)

History: 1971 act replaced references to water resources commission with references to environmental protection commissioner; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 made state police department a division within the department of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-605 clarified provisions by adding specific reference to “solid, liquid or gaseous” products, “hazardous wastes”, etc., deleted provision setting forth when reports must be made to U.S. Coast Guard and replaced previous penalty of $1,000 minimum to $5,000 maximum fine for failure to report under Secs. 25-54bb to 25-54hh with $1,000 maximum fine for failure to report under this section and $5,000 maximum fine levied against the employer of any person who fails to make the required report; Sec. 25-54dd transferred to Sec. 22a-450 in 1983; P.A. 94-108 deleted a requirement that spills be reported to the state police and required reporting to the commissioner of environmental protection; P.A. 95-218 added a provision specifying that spills required to be reported under this section are those which pose a potential threat to human health or the environment; P.A. 00-175 added provisions re penalties for failing to make a report relating to the discharge, spillage, uncontrolled loss, seepage or filtration of gasoline, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 16-199 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and made a technical change therein, added Subsec. (b) re threshold for reporting under Subsec. (a), and added Subsec. (c) re adoption of regulations defining threshold amounts and specifying facts to be included in report.