Columbia Violations; penalties ordinance (§ 22-217)

(a) If any person is found to be violating any provision of this article, the director may, at director's discretion, pursue any combination of the following remedies:

(1) Injunctive or other appropriate relief in circuit court restraining the violation, requiring compliance with this article and recovering the city's cost in remediating any damage caused by the violation.

(2) Prosecution in municipal court.

(3) Notice of violation to the persons responsible for the violation.

(b) Any person who commits an unlawful act under this article or who knowingly makes any false statement, representation or certification in any application, record plan or other document filed or required to be maintained or who falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or

method required hereunder shall upon conviction thereof be punished in the same manner as if convicted of a class A misdemeanor under chapter 16 of this Code. Each day the unlawful act occurs or continues shall constitute a separate offense.

(c) If any person shall fail to remedy a violation after notice of the violation from the director and any hearing required under this article, the director is authorized to do any combination of the following: revoke any discharge permit previously granted; discontinue sewer service to that person; use city or contract forces to remedy the violation and charge the costs of the remedy to the sewer utility account of that person.

(d) If any discharge which appears to present an imminent endangerment to the health or welfare of persons, the director shall have the authority to immediately and effectively halt or prevent any discharge of pollutants.

(e) A list of contributors who were in significant noncompliance with the provisions of this article during the twelve (12) previous months shall be annually published by the director in a local newspaper. The notification shall also summarize any enforcement action taken against the contributors during the same twelve (12) months.