WAC 468-550-080   Notifying of and applying financial penalties.  (1) The due dates for documentation required herein are specified in (a) through (e) of this subsection. The department shall provide a RFGS a written notification of the required due date no later than one month before the applicable due date.

     (a) System safety program plan and security and emergency preparedness plan within three months prior to beginning operations;

     (b) Internal safety and security audit schedule for the next year by February 1;

     (c) Annual report for the internal safety and security audits performed during the preceding year by February 1;

     (d) Annual summary report to the department covering all reportable occurrences by February 1;

     (e) Written investigation reports and findings within forty-five calendar days after a reportable accident occurred, or unacceptable hazardous condition was discovered.

     (2) If any RFGS notified by the department fails to deliver the required documentation by the due date specified in subsection (1) of this section, the department shall schedule a meeting with the director responsible for the RFGS's operations and maintenance to discuss the RFGS's progress in completing the documentation and the potential consequences of further delay. In scheduling this meeting, the department shall notify the RFGS's chief executive officer of the purpose of the meeting and its time and location. The department shall attempt to schedule the meeting within one week of the specified due date.

     (a) The department may cancel this meeting if the department receives the required documentation prior to the scheduled meeting.

     (b) The department may defer scheduling the meeting in the event of a catastrophic event affecting the RFGS and its ability to conduct routine business.

     (c) The department shall document the results of the meeting in writing to the director responsible for the RFGS's operations and maintenance and the RFGS's chief executive officer within one week of the meeting.

     (d) Should the department determine that there is no reasonable cause for any further delay by the RFGS for submission of its required documentation, the department shall notify the RFGS's chief executive officer of the applicable financial penalty, as defined in subsection (5) of this section.

     (e) If the department receives no further communication from the RFGS within ten calendar days of the notification made in accord with (d) of this subsection, the department shall proceed to notify FTA of the RFGS's failure to supply the required documentation and to apply the appropriate financial penalty in accord with subsection (5) of this section.

     (3) If any RFGS delivers incomplete documentation by the required due date, the department shall notify the RFGS of any deficiency within one week. The RFGS shall supplement its required documentation within one week after receiving the department's notification. If the RFGS fails to supplement its documentation adequately, the department shall proceed to schedule a meeting and follow the procedures in subsection (2) of this section.

     (4) If any RFGS fails to implement a corrective action plan, according to the implementation schedule developed pursuant to WAC 468-550-070(4), to prevent a recurrence of an accident or to mitigate an unacceptable hazardous condition, the department shall schedule a meeting with the director responsible for the RFGS's operations and maintenance to discuss the RFGS's progress in completing the corrective action plan and the potential consequences of further delay.

     (a) The department may cancel this meeting if the department receives the required documentation prior to the scheduled meeting.

     (b) The department may defer scheduling the meeting in the event of a catastrophic event affecting the RFGS and its ability to conduct routine business.

     (c) The department shall document the results of the meeting in writing to the director responsible for the RFGS's operations and maintenance within one week of the meeting.

     (d) Should the department determine that there is no reasonable cause for a RFGS's failure to implement the corrective action plan, the department shall notify the RFGS's chief executive officer that the department intends to notify FTA of the RFGS's noncompliance.

     (e) If the department receives no further communication from the RFGS within ten calendar days of the notification made in accord with (d) of this subsection, the department shall notify FTA of the RFGS's failure to implement a corrective action plan action.

     (f) This subsection shall apply also to a corrective action plan upon which the department and the RFGS disagree. In this situation, the department shall use the corrective action plan and implementation schedule proposed by the RFGS.

     (5) Any RFGS that fails to comply with the timelines as set forth in this chapter shall be assessed the financial penalties following:

     (a) One thousand five hundred dollars for each calendar month two months prior to beginning operations, for failure to deliver to the department an acceptable system safety and security program plan;

     (b) Five hundred dollars for each calendar month, beginning with February, for failure to deliver to the department an acceptable:

     (i) Internal safety and security audit schedule for the next year;

     (ii) Annual report for the internal safety and security audits performed during the preceding year; or

     (iii) Annual summary report to the department covering all reportable occurrences; and

     (c) One thousand dollars applied each thirty-day period, beginning the 90th day after a reportable accident occurred, or after an unacceptable hazardous condition was discovered for failure to deliver to the department an acceptable investigation report, corrective action plan, and accompanying implementation schedule.

     (6) If FTA notifies the department that it will impose a financial penalty on the state of Washington as a consequence of a RFGS's failure to take appropriate action in a safety or security situation, the department shall:

     (a) Notify that RFGS's chief executive officer that the department will impose all FTA financial penalties to that RFGS if the RFGS fails to take adequate action to bring itself into compliance to FTA's satisfaction. Said notice shall include a copy of FTA's written communication and an estimate of FTA's financial penalty.

     (b) Recommend steps to the RFGS' chief executive officer that the RFGS should take to bring it into compliance with FTA requirements.

     (7) Any RFGS notified by the department of its failure to take appropriate action in a safety or security situation shall take immediate and adequate action to bring itself into compliance to FTA's satisfaction and provide adequate documentation to the department of its corrective measures. The department shall provide that documentation to FTA.

     (8) If any RFGS notified by the department of its failure to take appropriate action in a safety or security situation also fails to respond to the department and FTA imposes a financial penalty on the state of Washington as a consequence, the department shall apply the full amount of the financial penalty on the RFGS.

     (9) In applying any financial penalty, the department shall take the following steps:

     (a) Invoice the RFGS for the amount of financial penalty; the invoice shall identify:

     (i) The documentation not received by the specified due date;

     (ii) The number of calendar months or, for failure to deliver to the department an acceptable investigation report, corrective action plan, and accompanying implementation schedule, thirty-day periods past the specified due date;

     (iii) The applicable financial penalty rate per calendar month or, for failure to deliver to the department an acceptable investigation report, corrective action plan, and accompanying implementation schedule, thirty-day periods; and

     (iv) Where payment should be made.

     (b) If a RFGS fails to remit the full amount of the imposed financial penalty within sixty days of when due, the department may seek judicial enforcement to recover full payment. Venue for any action hereunder shall be Thurston County.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 81.104.115. 08-15-078, § 468-550-080, filed 7/15/08, effective 8/15/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 81.104.115(5). 02-13-004, § 468-550-080, filed 6/6/02, effective 7/7/02. Statutory Authority: 1999 c 202 § 7. 99-18-059 (Order 193), § 468-550-080, filed 8/30/99, effective 9/30/99.]