254.45 Penalties.

(1) General.

(a) Any person who violates this subchapter or a rule promulgated under this subchapter or a condition of a license or registration issued by the department under this subchapter may be required to forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $100,000. Each day of continued violation constitutes a separate offense.

(b) The amount of the forfeiture assessed under par. (a) shall be determined by considering all of the following:

1. The willfulness of the violation.

2. The person's previous violations, if any, of this subchapter, rules promulgated under this subchapter or conditions of a license or registration issued by the department under this subchapter.

3. The potential danger or actual or potential injury to the environment or to public health caused by the violation.

4. The actual or potential costs of the damage or injury caused by the violation.

(2) Assessment of forfeitures; notice. The department may directly assess forfeitures provided for in sub. (1). If the department determines that a forfeiture should be assessed for a particular violation, the department shall send a notice of assessment to the person. The notice shall specify the amount of the forfeiture assessed and the violation and the statute or rule alleged to have been violated and shall inform the person of the right to hearing under sub. (3).

(3) Hearing. A person upon whom a forfeiture is imposed may contest the action by sending, within 10 days after receipt of notice of a contested action, a written request for hearing under s. 227.44 to the division of hearings and appeals created under s. 15.103 (1). The administrator of the division may designate a hearing examiner to preside over the case and recommend a decision to the administrator under s. 227.46. The decision of the administrator of the division shall be the final administrative decision. The division shall commence the hearing within 30 days of receipt of the request for hearing and shall issue a final decision within 15 days after the close of the hearing. Proceedings before the division are governed by ch. 227.

(4) Forfeiture payment and disposition.

(a) A person against whom the department has assessed a forfeiture shall pay the forfeiture to the department within 10 days after receipt of the notice under sub. (2) or, if the person contests the assessment, within 10 days after receipt of the final decision after exhaustion of administrative review. If the person petitions for judicial review under ch. 227, the person shall pay the forfeiture within 10 days after receipt of the final judicial decision.

(b) The department shall remit all forfeitures paid to the secretary of administration for deposit in the school fund.

(5) Enforcement. The attorney general may bring an action in the name of the state to collect any forfeiture imposed under this section if the forfeiture has not been paid as required under sub. (4). The only issue to be contested in an action under this subsection is whether the forfeiture has been paid.

History: 1993 a. 27 s. 234; Stats. 1993 s. 254.45; 1995 a. 27 ss. 6340, 9116 (5); 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 33.