HB1664 Summary

• Clarifies environmental officer authority to enter property upon showing probable cause and subject to administrative warrant requirements, with exceptions for imminent danger, conveyances, emergencies, open fields, and plain view situations.

• Establishes that environmental citations must be filed in district court of competent jurisdiction in the county where the violation occurred, rather than allowing filing in other venues.

• Expands definition of "environmental violation" to include violations of Chapter 6 of Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Rule 18 and the Used Tire Recycling and Accountability Act, beyond just illegal dumping of solid waste.

• Requires environmental officers to obtain administrative warrants from judges or magistrates before inspecting private property, with detailed procedures for warrant issuance, execution, document seizure, and sample collection.

• Removes "restricted delivery" requirement from environmental citation service procedures, allowing citations to be served in person or by certified mail to addresses obtained from violation evidence or last known address of alleged violator.