Section 37-15-10

Civil penalties.

(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each such violation.

(b) An action under this section shall be instigated by any person making a complaint in writing, verified by oath, that said person has reason to believe that a violation under this chapter has occurred.

(c) Prosecution of violations of this chapter shall be by district attorney or the Attorney General and shall be brought in the circuit court for the county in which the violation, or some part thereof, arose or in the circuit court for the county in which the defendant resides or maintains his principal place of business within the state.

(d) The amount of such penalties shall be dependant upon the degree of non-compliance, the amount of injury or damage caused, the degree of threat to public safety, the degree of public inconvenience caused as a result of the violation, and the number of past violations. Mitigation of the penalty may be shown by "good faith" efforts of the violator to have complied with the provisions of this chapter.

(e) All penalties recovered in such actions shall be paid into the General Fund of the State of Alabama.

(f) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall not be subject to payment of the assessed penalty in subsection (a) of Section 37-15-10 if they have been assessed a civil penalty for this same violation under the provisions of the Federal Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 or the Federal Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 or any amendment to these acts.

(g) This chapter does not affect any civil remedies for personal injury or property damage or criminal sanctions except as otherwise specifically provided for in this chapter.

(Acts 1994, No. 94-487, p. 911, §10.)