(A) The director of environmental protection may issue, modify, suspend, or revoke enforcement orders in accordance with Chapter 3745. of the Revised Code to a holder of a registration certificate, permit, or license issued by the director or a board of health under this chapter, or to another person, directing the holder or person to abate a violation, or to prevent any threatened violation, of any section of this chapter other than sections 3734.90 to 3734.9013 of the Revised Code, a rule adopted thereunder, or a term or condition of a permit, license, or variance issued thereunder within a specified, reasonable time.

(B) Notwithstanding division (C) of section 3734.85 of the Revised Code, if the director determines that an emergency exists requiring immediate action to protect the public health or safety or the environment, the director may issue an order, without notice or hearing, reciting the existence of the emergency and requiring that such action be taken as necessary to meet the emergency. The order shall take effect immediately. Any person to whom the order is directed shall comply immediately, but on application to the director shall be afforded a hearing as soon as possible and not later than thirty days after application. On the basis of the hearing, the director shall continue the order in effect, revoke it, or modify it. No emergency order shall remain in effect for more than one hundred twenty days after its issuance.

(C) If the director determines that any person is violating or has violated this chapter, a rule adopted thereunder, or a term or condition of a permit, license, variance, or order issued thereunder, the director may request in writing that the attorney general bring a civil action for appropriate relief, including a temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction, and civil penalties in any court of competent jurisdiction. Such an action shall have precedence over all other cases. Except as otherwise provided in this division with regard to a violation of the provisions of this chapter governing scrap tires, a rule adopted under those provisions, a term or condition of a permit or license issued under them, or a term or condition of an order issued pertaining to scrap tires, the court may impose upon the person a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars for each day of each violation of this chapter other than a violation of section 3734.60 of the Revised Code, sections 3734.62 to 3734.65 of the Revised Code, sections 3734.90 to 3734.9013 of the Revised Code or a rule adopted under those sections, or division (B) of section 3734.912 or section 3734.914 of the Revised Code; of a rule adopted under this chapter other than a rule adopted under division (B) of section 3734.122 of the Revised Code; or of a term or condition of a permit, license, variance, or order issued under this chapter. The court may impose upon a person who violates a rule adopted under division (B) of section 3734.122 of the Revised Code a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars for each day of each violation of the rule. The court may impose upon a person who violates section 3734.60 of the Revised Code a civil penalty of not more than two hundred fifty dollars for each day of violation of that section. The court may impose upon a person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter governing scrap tires, a rule adopted under those provisions, a term or condition of a permit or license issued under them, or a term or condition of an order issued pertaining to scrap tires a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars for each day of each violation, except that if the violation is of a provision, rule, or term or condition that relates to the open burning or open dumping of scrap tires, or if the violation is of an emergency order of the director issued under division (B) of section 3734.13 of the Revised Code that pertains to scrap tires, the court may impose a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars for each day of each violation. The court may impose upon a person who violates section 3734.62 of the Revised Code a civil penalty of not more than one hundred dollars for each violation of that section. The court may impose upon a person who violates section 3734.63, 3734.64, or 3734.65 of the Revised Code a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars for each day of each violation of the applicable section, but the total amount of a civil penalty imposed upon a person for a violation of the applicable section shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars. The court may impose upon a person who violates division (B) of section 3734.912 or section 3734.914 of the Revised Code a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

Any action under this section is a civil action, governed by the Rules of Civil Procedure.

(D) No person shall violate any term or condition of any order issued under this section.

(E) Except as otherwise provided in this division, moneys resulting from civil penalties imposed under division (C) of this section shall be paid into the hazardous waste clean-up fund created in section 3734.28 of the Revised Code. Moneys resulting from civil penalties imposed under division (C) of this section for violations of any of the provisions of this chapter governing scrap tires, rules adopted under those provisions, terms or conditions of permits or licenses issued under them, or terms or conditions of orders issued pertaining to scrap tires shall be credited to the scrap tire management fund created in section 3734.82 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 10-29-1993; 04-06-2007; 2008 HB169 04-25-2008 .