(1) Any civil penalty provided in RCW 18.104.155, 70.94.431, 70.95.315, 70.105.080, 70.107.050, 88.46.090, 90.03.600, 90.46.270, 90.48.144, 90.56.310, and 90.56.330 and chapter 90.76 RCW shall be imposed by a notice in writing, either by certified mail with return receipt requested or by personal service, to the person incurring the penalty from the department or the local air authority, describing the violation with reasonable particularity. Within thirty days after the notice is received, the person incurring the penalty may apply in writing to the department or the authority for the remission or mitigation of the penalty. Upon receipt of the application, the department or authority may remit or mitigate the penalty upon whatever terms the department or the authority in its discretion deems proper. The department or the authority may ascertain the facts regarding all such applications in such reasonable manner and under such rules as it may deem proper and shall remit or mitigate the penalty only upon a demonstration of extraordinary circumstances such as the presence of information or factors not considered in setting the original penalty.

     (2) Any penalty imposed under this section may be appealed to the pollution control hearings board in accordance with this chapter if the appeal is filed with the hearings board and served on the department or authority thirty days after the date of receipt by the person penalized of the notice imposing the penalty or thirty days after the date of receipt of the notice of disposition of the application for relief from penalty.

     (3) A penalty shall become due and payable on the later of:

     (a) Thirty days after receipt of the notice imposing the penalty;

     (b) Thirty days after receipt of the notice of disposition on application for relief from penalty, if such an application is made; or

     (c) Thirty days after receipt of the notice of decision of the hearings board if the penalty is appealed.

     (4) If the amount of any penalty is not paid to the department within thirty days after it becomes due and payable, the attorney general, upon request of the department, shall bring an action in the name of the state of Washington in the superior court of Thurston county, or of any county in which the violator does business, to recover the penalty. If the amount of the penalty is not paid to the authority within thirty days after it becomes due and payable, the authority may bring an action to recover the penalty in the superior court of the county of the authority's main office or of any county in which the violator does business. In these actions, the procedures and rules of evidence shall be the same as in an ordinary civil action.

     (5) All penalties recovered shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the general fund except those penalties imposed pursuant to RCW 18.104.155, which shall be credited to the reclamation account as provided in RCW 18.104.155(7), RCW 70.94.431, the disposition of which shall be governed by that provision, RCW 70.105.080, which shall be credited to the hazardous waste control and elimination account created by RCW 70.105.180, RCW 90.56.330, which shall be credited to the coastal protection fund created by RCW 90.48.390, and RCW 90.76.080, which shall be credited to the underground storage tank account created by RCW 90.76.100.

[2009 c 456 § 17; 2009 c 178 § 2; 2007 c 147 § 9; 2004 c 204 § 4; 2001 c 36 § 2; 1993 c 387 § 23; 1992 c 73 § 2; 1987 c 109 § 5.]

NOTES:

     Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2009 c 178 § 2 and by 2009 c 456 § 17, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

     Effective date -- 1993 c 387: See RCW 18.104.930.

     Effective dates -- Severability -- 1992 c 73: See RCW 82.23B.902 and 90.56.905.

     Purpose -- Short title -- Construction -- Rules -- Severability -- Captions -- 1987 c 109: See notes following RCW 43.21B.001.