Section 12-9-23. Civil penalties; procedures for imposing penalties

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

(b) Whenever the director has reason to believe that any person has violated any provision of this article or any rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to this article or any permit condition or has failed or refused to comply with any final order of the director, he may, upon written request, cause a hearing to be conducted before a hearing officer appointed by the Board of Natural Resources. Upon a finding that such person has violated any provisions of this article or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this article or any permit condition, or has failed or refused to comply with any final order of the director, the hearing officer shall issue his initial decision imposing civil penalties as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section. Such hearing and any administrative or judicial review thereof shall be conducted in accordance with Code Section 12-9-15.

(c) In rendering a decision under subsection (b) of 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 assessment necessary to ensure immediate and continued compliance and the extent to which the violator may have profited by failing or delaying compliance;

   (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 taking all feasible steps or procedures necessary or appropriate to comply or to correct the violation or failure;

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

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

   (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.

(d) All civil penalties recovered by the director as provided in this Code section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the general fund.

Ga. L. 1978, p. 275, § 16; Ga. L. 1992, p. 918, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2886, § 1.