Section 12-8-81. Civil penalties; procedures for imposing penalties

   (a) Any person violating any provision of this article, the rules or regulations effective under this article, or any permit condition or limitation established pursuant to this article or any person negligently or intentionally failing or refusing to comply with any final or emergency order of the director issued as provided in this article shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000.00 per day. Each day during which the violation or failure or refusal to comply continues shall be a separate violation.

(b) Whenever the director has reason to believe that any person has violated any provision of this article, any rule or regulation effective under this article, or any permit condition or has negligently or intentionally failed or refused to comply with any final order or emergency order of the director, he may upon written request cause a hearing to be conducted before a hearing officer appointed by the board. Upon finding that such person has violated any provision of this article, any rule or regulation effective under this article, or any permit condition or has negligently or intentionally failed or refused to comply with any final order or emergency order of the director, the hearing officer shall issue his decision imposing civil penalties as provided in this Code section. Such hearing and any administrative or judicial review thereof shall be conducted in accordance with Code Section 12-8-73.

(c) In rendering a decision under this Code section imposing civil penalties, the hearing officer shall consider all factors which are relevant, including, but not limited to, the following:

   (1) The amount of civil penalty necessary to ensure immediate and continued compliance and the extent to which the violator may have profited by failing or delaying to comply;

   (2) The character and degree of impact of the violation or failure on the natural resources of the state, especially any rare or unique natural phenomena;

   (3) The conduct of the person incurring the civil penalty in promptly taking all feasible steps or procedures necessary or appropriate to comply with this article or to correct the violation or failure;

   (4) Any prior violations of, or failures by, such person to comply with statutes, rules, regulations, orders, or permits administered, adopted, or issued by the director;

   (5) The character and degree of injury to or interference with public health or safety which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation or failure; and

   (6) The character and degree of injury to or interference with reasonable use of property which is caused or threatened to be caused by such violation or failure.

Ga. L. 1979, p. 1127, § 17; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2234, § 5; Ga. L. 1996, p. 6, § 12.