12.06.100 Administrative enforcement remedies.
A. Notification of Violation. When the City Engineer reasonably believes that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, an individual wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, the City Engineer may serve upon that user a written notice of violation. Within seven calendar days of the date of this notice, a written explanation of the violation and a plan for the satisfactory correction and prevention thereof, to include specific required actions, shall be submitted by the user to the City Engineer. Submission of this plan in no way relieves the user of liability for any violations occurring before or after receipt of the notice of violation. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the City Engineer to take any action, including emergency actions or any other enforcement action, without first issuing a notice of violation.
B. Consent Orders. The City Engineer may enter into consent orders, assurances of compliance, or other similar documents establishing an agreement with any user that the City Engineer finds to be or reasonably believes to be responsible for noncompliance. Such documents will include specific action to be taken by the user to correct the noncompliance within a time period specified by the document. Such documents shall have the same force and effect as the administrative orders issued pursuant to subsections (D) and (E) of this section and shall be judicially enforceable.
C. Show Cause Hearing. The City Engineer may order a user which the City Engineer reasonably believes has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, an individual wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, to appear before the City Engineer and show cause why the proposed enforcement action should not be taken. Notice shall be served on the user specifying the time and place for the meeting, the proposed administrative enforcement action, the reasons for such action, and a request that the user show cause why the proposed enforcement action should not be taken. The notice of the meeting shall be served personally or by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) at least 14 days prior to the hearing. Such notice may be served on any authorized representative of the user. A show cause hearing shall not be a bar against, or prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
D. Compliance Orders. When the City Engineer reasonably believes that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, a wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, the City Engineer may issue an order to the user responsible for the discharge directing that the user come into compliance within a specified time. If the user does not come into compliance within the time provided in the order, the City may discontinue that user’s sewer service unless adequate treatment facilities, devices, or other related appurtenances are installed and properly operated. Compliance orders also may contain other requirements to address the noncompliance, including additional self-monitoring and management practices designed to minimize the amount of pollutants discharged to the sewer. A compliance order may not extend the deadline for compliance established for a pretreatment standard or requirement, nor does a compliance order relieve the user of liability for any violation, including any continuing violation. Issuance of a compliance order shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, the City’s taking any other action against the user.
E. Cease and Desist Orders. When the City Engineer reasonably believes that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, an individual wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, or that the user’s past violations are likely to recur, the City Engineer may issue an order to the user directing it to cease and desist all such violations and directing the user to:
1. Immediately comply with all requirements; and
2. Take such appropriate remedial or preventive action as may be needed to properly address a continuing or threatened violation, including halting operations and/or terminating the discharge.
Issuance of a cease and desist order shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, the City’s taking any other action against the user.
F. Administrative Fines.
1. When the City Engineer finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provision of this chapter, a wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, the City Engineer may fine such user in an amount set by resolution of the City Council. Such fines shall be assessed on a per violation, per day basis. In the case of monthly or other long term average discharge limits, fines shall be assessed for each day during the period of violation.
2. Unpaid charges, fines, and penalties shall, after 30 calendar days, be assessed an additional penalty of 10 percent of the unpaid balance, and interest shall accrue thereafter at a rate of two percent per month. A lien against the user’s property will be sought for unpaid charges, fines, and penalties.
3. Users desiring to dispute such fines must file a written request for the City Engineer to reconsider the fine along with full payment of the fine amount within 30 days of being notified of the fine. Where a request has merit, the City Engineer may convene a hearing on the matter. In the event the user’s appeal is successful, the payment, together with any interest accruing thereto, shall be returned to the user. The City Engineer may add the costs of preparing administrative enforcement actions, such as notices and orders, to the fine.
4. Issuance of an administrative fine shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
G. Emergency Suspensions. The City Engineer may immediately suspend a user’s discharge, after informal notice to the user, whenever such suspension is necessary to stop an actual or threatened discharge which reasonably appears to the City Engineer to present or cause an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons, including damage to the proper operation and function of the City’s POTW. The City Engineer may also immediately suspend a user’s discharge, after notice and opportunity to respond, that threatens to interfere with the operation of the POTW, or which presents, or may present, an endangerment to the environment.
1. Any user notified of a suspension of its discharge shall immediately stop or eliminate its contribution. In the event of a user’s failure to immediately comply voluntarily with the suspension order, the City Engineer may take such steps as deemed necessary, including immediate severance of the sewer connection, to prevent or minimize damage to the POTW, its receiving stream, or endangerment to any individuals. The City Engineer may allow the user to recommence its discharge when the user has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the City Engineer that the period of endangerment has passed, unless the termination proceedings in subsection (H) of this section are initiated against the user.
2. A user that is responsible, in whole or in part, for any discharge presenting imminent endangerment shall submit a detailed written statement, describing the causes of the harmful contribution and the measures taken to prevent any future occurrence, to the City Engineer within five days.
Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as requiring a hearing prior to any emergency suspension under this section.
H. Termination of Discharge. Any user that violates the conditions in HRMC 12.06.050(F) is subject to discharge termination. Such user will be notified of the proposed termination of its discharge and be offered an opportunity to show cause under subsection (C) of this section why the proposed action should not be taken. Exercise of this option by the City Engineer shall not be a bar to, or a prerequisite for, the City’s taking any other action against the user.
I. City Remedies Not Exclusive. The administrative remedies provided for in this section and HRMC 12.06.110 shall be cumulative and not exclusive, but shall be in addition to the remedies described in HRMC 12.06.110, HRMC Chapter 1.10 (Civil Enforcement), ORS 30.315, and any other remedy provided for under the Municipal Code or state law. A violation of this chapter and any permit or order issued hereunder shall be deemed a civil infraction and a nuisance that endangers the public health and welfare. (Ord. 2075 §2 (Exh. A), 2023)