Senate Bill 261 Summary

• Increases maximum administrative fines for environmental violations from unspecified amounts to $10,000 per violation, or $100,000 for sanitary landfill owners/operators, with authority limited to cases where total fines do not exceed $100,000 ($1,000,000 for landfills).

• Modifies civil fine provisions under the attorney general's enforcement authority to impose fines of not more than $10,000 ($100,000 for sanitary landfill operators) and clarifies fines are assessed per violation instance and daily for continuous violations.

• Updates criminal penalties for knowing violations to specify $10,000 maximum fines ($100,000 for landfill operators) per day, and increases penalties for hazardous air pollutant releases to $25,000 fines and 6-year imprisonment if death/serious injury results ($250,000 and 15-year imprisonment for intentional releases).

• Increases civil fines under section 11546 to $10,000 per day for first violations and $25,000 per day for subsequent violations ($100,000 and $250,000 respectively for landfill operators).

• Increases misdemeanor penalties under section 11549 for landfill violations from unspecified amounts to $10,000 and for section 11526e violations to $50,000 maximum fines.