§12.5 - Enforcement

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§12.5 ENFORCEMENT

The NPDES permit, containing effluent limitations on what may be discharged by a source, is the CWA's principal enforcement tool. The EPA may issue an administrative compliance order or bring a civil suit in U.S. district court against persons who violate the terms of a permit. The penalty for such a violation can be as much as $51,570 per day. Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule, 81 Fed. Reg. 43,091 (July 1, 2016) (interim final rule effective August 1, 2016). More severe penalties are authorized for criminal violations of the Act—for negligent or knowing violations of as much as $50,000 per day, three years' imprisonment, or both. A fine of as much as $250,000, 15 years in prison, or both, is authorized for "knowing endangerment" violations that knowingly place another person in imminent danger of death or...