80-15-412. Administrative civil penalty. (1) A person who commits a violation of this chapter may be assessed an administrative civil penalty by the department of not more than $1,000 for each offense. Farm applicators possessing a pesticide permit or using a fertilizer may not be assessed an administrative civil penalty of more than $500 for the first offense. Assessment of a civil penalty may be made in conjunction with any other warning, order, or administrative action authorized by this chapter or Title 75, chapter 5, that is issued or undertaken by either the department or the department of environmental quality.

(2) An administrative civil penalty may not be assessed unless the person charged is given notice and opportunity for a hearing pursuant to Title 2, chapter 4, part 6, of the Montana Administrative Procedure Act.

(3) In determining an appropriate administrative civil penalty, the department shall consider the effect on the person's ability to continue in business, the gravity of the violation that occurred, the degree of care exercised by the offender, and whether significant harm resulted to public health, agricultural crops, livestock, or the environment.

(4) If the department is unable to collect the administrative civil penalty or if a person fails to pay all or a set portion of the administrative civil penalty as determined by the department, the department may seek to recover the amount in the appropriate district court.

(5) A person against whom the department has assessed an administrative civil penalty may, within 30 days of the final agency action making the assessment, appeal the assessment to the district court of the county in which the violation is alleged to have occurred. A jury trial must be granted when demanded under Rule 38 of the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure.

History: En. Sec. 22, Ch. 668, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 189, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 347, Ch. 418, L. 1995.