§1749.20. Violations; penalties

A.(1) A person who is required by this Part to become a member of, participate in, or share the cost of, a regional notification center and who fails to do so shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than two hundred fifty dollars for the first violation and not more than one thousand dollars for each subsequent violation. A subsequent violation shall be deemed to have occurred if the person fails to become a member of, participate in, or share the cost of, a regional notification center as required within ninety days after issuance of a citation for the previous violation.

(2) A person who participates in a regional notification center and who fails to mark or provide information regarding the location of underground utilities and facilities used to store, transport, or convey that which is not regulated pursuant to Chapter 16 of Subtitle II of Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, otherwise known as the Hazardous Materials Information Development, Preparedness, and Response Act, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars. A subsequent violation shall be deemed to have occurred if a person fails to provide information or markings within two years of the issuance of a prior citation for the same or similar conduct.

(3) A person who is required by law to participate in a regional notification center and who fails to provide information or markings to indicate hazardous material as defined in Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 shall be subject to the following:

(a) For the first violation, a warning letter shall be given.

(b) For a second violation, a civil penalty of not more than two hundred fifty dollars.

(c) For a third violation, a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars.

(d) For a fourth violation, a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars.

(e) For a fifth and each subsequent violation, a civil penalty of not less than two thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars.

B. An excavator or demolisher who violates the provisions of R.S. 40:1749.13, 1749.16, or 1749.17(B) shall be subject to the following:

(1) For the first violation, a warning letter shall be given.

(2) For a second violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from the previous violation, a civil penalty of not more than two hundred fifty dollars.

(3) For a third violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from a previous violation, a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars.

(4) For a fourth violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from the previous violation, a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars.

(5) For a fifth and each subsequent violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from the previous violation, a civil penalty of not less than two thousand nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars.

(6) For any violation involving hazardous materials as defined in Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, a civil penalty of not less than two thousand dollars nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars.

(7) An excavator or demolisher who is issued a citation for a violation shall immediately stop all excavation or demolition activity until the requirements of this Part are met. Failure to do so shall subject the excavator or demolisher to an additional citation and civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars for each such subsequent citation issued.

C. An excavator or demolisher who violates the provisions of R.S. 40:1749.15 shall be subject to the following:

(1) For the first violation, a civil penalty of not more than fifty dollars.

(2) For a second violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from the previous violation, a civil penalty of not more than two hundred dollars.

(3) For a third violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from a previous violation, a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars.

(4) For a fourth and each subsequent violation of a similar nature within a two-year period from the previous violation, a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars.

D. A person may be cited with a violation and held liable for a civil penalty pursuant to this Section although the commission of the offense did not occur in the presence of a law enforcement officer if the evidence is sufficient to establish that the defendant has committed the offense.

Acts 1988, No. 923, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1050, §1, eff. July 11, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 506, §1, eff. June 29, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 160, §1; Acts 2010, No. 249, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 38, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 103, §1; Acts 2014, No. 203, §1.