1. All detection activities permitted under this chapter shall be conducted by the City Building Inspector, herein referred to as the “enforcement officer.” The enforcement officer may conduct inspections in and through cooperative efforts with Federal, State, County, or other municipal agencies.
2. The City shall not be responsible for the direct or indirect consequences to persons or property of an illicit discharge, or circumstances which may cause an illicit discharge, whether detected or undetected by the City.
3. Every responsible party has an absolute duty to monitor conditions on property owned or controlled by them, to prevent all illicit discharges, and to report to the enforcement officer illicit discharges which the responsible party knows or should have known to have occurred. Failure to comply with any provision of this chapter is a violation of this chapter.
A. Notwithstanding other requirements of law, as soon as any responsible party has information of any known or suspected illicit discharge, the responsible party shall immediately take all necessary steps to ensure the discovery, containment, and cleanup of such discharge at the responsible party’s sole cost.
B. If the illicit discharge consists of hazardous materials, the responsible party shall also immediately notify emergency response agencies of the occurrence via emergency dispatch services.
C. If the illicit discharge emanates from a commercial or industrial establishment, the owner or operator of such establishment shall also retain an on-site written record of the discharge and the actions taken to prevent its recurrence. Such records shall be retained for at least three years.
D. A report of an illicit discharge shall be made in person or by phone or facsimile or email to the enforcement officer immediately but in any event within twenty-four (24) hours of the illicit discharge; notifications in person or by phone shall be confirmed by written notice addressed and mailed or emailed to the enforcement officer within 24 hours of the personal or phone notice.
4. Any person or entity shall also report to the City any illicit discharge or circumstances which such person or entity reasonably believes pose a risk of an illicit discharge.
5. Upon receiving a report pursuant to the previous subsections, or otherwise coming into possession of information indicating an actual or imminent illicit discharge, the enforcement officer shall conduct an inspection of the site as soon as reasonably possible and thereafter shall provide to the responsible party, and any third party reporter, a written report of the conditions which may cause or which have already caused an illicit discharge. The responsible party shall immediately commence corrective action or remediation and shall complete such corrective action or remediation within twenty-four (24) hours or as soon as it is practicable given the circumstances of the discharge. If the responsible party is provided with a written notice to abate, corrective action or remediation shall occur within the time frame specified in the abatement notice.
6. The enforcement officer shall be permitted to enter and inspect property subject to regulation under this chapter as often as is necessary to determine compliance with this chapter. If a responsible party has security measures that require identification and clearance before entry to its property or premises, the responsible party shall make the necessary arrangements to allow access by the enforcement officer. By way of specification but not limitation:
A. A responsible party shall allow the enforcement officer ready access to all parts of the property for purposes of inspection, sampling, examination and copying of records related to a suspected, actual, or imminent illicit discharge, and for the performance of any additional duties as defined by State and Federal law.
B. The enforcement officer shall have the right to set up on any property such devices as are necessary in the opinion of the enforcement officer to conduct monitoring and/or sampling related to a suspected, actual or imminent illicit discharge.
C. The enforcement officer shall have the right to require any responsible party at responsible party’s sole expense to install monitoring equipment and deliver monitoring data or reports to the enforcement officer as the enforcement officer directs. The sampling and monitoring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper operating condition by the responsible party at responsible party’s sole expense. All devices shall be calibrated to ensure their accuracy.
D. Any temporary or permanent obstruction to safe and easy access to property to be inspected and/or sampled shall be promptly removed by the responsible party at the written or oral order of the enforcement officer and shall not be replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall be borne by the responsible party.
E. An unreasonable delay in allowing the enforcement officer access to a property is a violation of this chapter.
F. If the enforcement officer has been refused access to any part of the property from an illicit connection and/or illicit discharge to a municipal storm sewer is occurring, suspected or imminent, and is able to demonstrate probable cause to believe that there may be a violation of this chapter, or that there is a need to inspect and/or sample as part of a routine inspection and sampling program designed to verify compliance with this chapter or any order issued hereunder, or to protect the overall public health, safety, and welfare of the community, then the enforcement officer may institute other proceedings as are deemed appropriate to compel compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including seeking the issuance of a search warrant from any court of competent jurisdiction.
7. If it is determined that an illicit discharge is imminent or has occurred, the actual administrative costs incurred by the City in the enforcement of this chapter shall be recovered from the responsible party. The enforcement officer shall submit an invoice to the responsible party reflecting the actual costs and wages and expenses incurred by the City for the enforcement activities undertaken. Failure to pay charges invoiced under this chapter within thirty (30) days of billing shall constitute a violation of this chapter.