HB 2424 Summary

• Amends citizen suit provisions in Arizona's water quality law (Section 49-264) and air quality law (Section 49-407) to align with federal environmental statutes.

• Reduces the notice period before commencing a citizen suit from 120 days to 60 days for air quality violations, while maintaining 60 days for water quality violations.

• Removes restrictions preventing citizen suits when the director determines no violation occurred or when the director has initiated enforcement action.

• Allows the director to intervene as a matter of right in citizen suit actions and requires courts to award attorney fees and expert witness fees to prevailing parties and to defendants in frivolous cases.

• Requires construction of both statutes to be consistent with federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1365) and Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7604) provisions.