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On August 1, federal maximum civil penalties will increase significantly per interim final regulatory rules implementing the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Improvements Act of 2015. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are adjusting their maximum civil penalties with an initial "catch-up" amendment in anticipation of the new maximum civil penalties of up to 150 percent over existing penalty amounts taking effect on August 1, 2016.
EPA Increases
Under the interim final rule, the amount of the increase in the maximum penalties EPA may recover is dependent on the regulatory program requirements EPA is enforcing. For example, the rule adjusts the statutory maximum civil penalty for:
Per Table 2 of the interim final rule, EPA is implementing more than 65 maximum penalty increases across the environmental statutes EPA enforces. A link to the revised table is attached here. The increases apply to civil penalties assessed after August 1, 2016 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015. Violations occurring on or before November 2, 2015, as well as assessments made prior to August 1, 2016, will continue to be subject to the civil penalty amounts previously in effect. In determining whether to seek a maximum penalty, consistent with EPA's civil penalty policies that are not changing with the interim final rule, EPA will weigh fact-specific considerations, including the seriousness of the violation, the violator’s good-faith efforts to comply, economic benefit gained by the violator as a result of noncompliance, and a violator’s ability to pay.
OSHA Increases
OSHA, through its interim final rule, increases its maximum penalties by 78 percent (for inflation from October 1990 to October 2015), effective August 1, 2016 as follows:
The increases in maximum OSHA penalties apply to all penalties assessed after August 1, 2016, whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015. Violations occurring on or before November 2, 2015, as well as assessments made prior to August 1, 2016, will continue to be subject to the maximum civil penalties in effect prior to August 1, 2016.
Should you have any questions regarding either EPA's or OSHA's interim final rule, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed in the sidebar.
Day Pitney Alert
On June 2, at the CBIA's 2022 Energy & Environment Conference, Day Pitney Environmental and Land Use partner Harold Blinderman is moderating the panel, "A New Release-Based Clean-Up Program: Status, Process & Next Steps," and Elizabeth C. Barton, partner and Chair of the Environmental practice, is a panelist, along with speakers from CT DEEP's Environmental Quality Branch and Water Protection and Land Use division and BL Companies.
On May 18, Day Pitney New Jersey Real Estate Partner Peter Wolfson was a panelist on the "P3 Partnerships: A Path for Progressive Development," panel at a CoreNet NJ event.
Day Pitney Advisory
Miami-based Real Estate Partner Sandra M. Ferrera is speaking on the University of Miami School of Law's Hispanic Law Students Association panel, "Legal Series Tournament: Practice Area Battle Royal: Team Litigation vs. Team Transactional."
Day Pitney Press Release
Day Pitney Hartford Attorney Ashley Membrino has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Hartford County Bar Association (HCBA).
Day Pitney Press Release
Day Pitney Environmental Partner Todd Terhune was featured by Law360 Pulse in a Q&A article discussing his arrival to the firm and his position as Vice Chair of the Environmental practice.
Environmental partner Todd Terhune's arrival to Day Pitney was featured in Real Estate NJ article, "Day Pitney Adds Terhune as Partner, Vice Chair of Environmental Team."
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This website may use cookies, pixel tags and other passive tracking technologies, including Google Analytics, to improve functionality and performance. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. By using our website, you are consenting to our use of these tracking technologies. You can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do so, it is possible that some areas of web sites that use cookies will not function properly when you view them. To learn more about how to delete and manage cookies, refer to the support instructions for each browser (e.g., see AllAboutCookies.org). You may locate Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web here.