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1 | AN ACT concerning utilities.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act is amended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | by adding Sections 2.08, 2.09, 2.10, 2.11, and 7.5 and by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | changing Section 7 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | (220 ILCS 20/2.08 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 2.08. Notice of probable violation. "Notice of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | probable violation" or "NOPV" means a written notice, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | satisfying the criteria set forth in Section 7.5 of this Act, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | given by the PSP manager to a person who engages in the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | transportation of gas or who owns or operates pipeline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | facilities that identifies a failure of such person to comply | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | with the provisions of this Act or any Commission order or rule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | issued under this Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | (220 ILCS 20/2.09 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Sec. 2.09. PSP manager. "PSP manager" means the manager of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | the Commission's Pipeline Safety Program or other staff of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Commission assigned to gas pipeline safety issues. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | (220 ILCS 20/2.10 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Sec. 2.10. Evaluator. "Evaluator" means a hearing examiner |
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1 | as described in Section 2-106 of the Public Utilities Act. | ||||||
2 | (220 ILCS 20/2.11 new) | ||||||
3 | Sec. 2.11. Expedited evaluation. "Expedited evaluation" | ||||||
4 | means a proceeding that satisfies the criteria set forth in | ||||||
5 | Section 7.5 of this Act before an evaluator with the goal of | ||||||
6 | providing the opportunity for expedited evaluation, | ||||||
7 | recommendation, and resolution of an NOPV.
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8 | (220 ILCS 20/7) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 557)
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9 | Sec. 7. Penalties; action for penalties.
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10 | (a) Any person violating paragraph (a) of Section 6 of this | ||||||
11 | Act or
any
rule or order issued under this Act is subject to a | ||||||
12 | civil penalty not to
exceed the maximum penalties established | ||||||
13 | by Section 60122(a)(1) of Title 49 of
the United States Code | ||||||
14 | for each day the violation
persists. Such civil penalties do | ||||||
15 | not apply to a violation with respect
to a pipeline facility in | ||||||
16 | existence on the effective date of this Act
unless such | ||||||
17 | violation persists one year from the effective date.
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18 | (b) Any civil penalty may be compromised by the Commission | ||||||
19 | or, prior to the initiation of an expedited evaluation, by the | ||||||
20 | PSP manager or, in the context of an expedited evaluation, by | ||||||
21 | the evaluator . In
determining the amount of the penalty, or the | ||||||
22 | amount agreed upon in
compromise, the Commission , the PSP | ||||||
23 | manager, or evaluator, as the case may be, shall consider the | ||||||
24 | appropriateness of the
penalty to the size of the business of |
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1 | the person charged, the gravity of
the violation, and the good | ||||||
2 | faith of the person charged in attempting to
achieve | ||||||
3 | compliance, after notification of a violation. The amount of | ||||||
4 | the
penalty when finally determined, or the amount agreed upon | ||||||
5 | in compromise,
may be deducted from any sums owing by the State | ||||||
6 | of Illinois to the person
charged or may be recovered in a | ||||||
7 | civil action in accordance with paragraph
(c) of this Section | ||||||
8 | 7.
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9 | (c) Actions to recover penalties under this Act shall be | ||||||
10 | brought in the
name of the People of the State of Illinois in | ||||||
11 | the circuit court in and for
the county in which the cause or | ||||||
12 | some part thereof, arose or in which the
corporation complained | ||||||
13 | of, if any, has its principal place of business or
in which the | ||||||
14 | person, if any, complained of, resides. All penalties
recovered | ||||||
15 | by the State in any action shall be paid into the general
fund | ||||||
16 | of the State Treasury. The action shall be commenced and | ||||||
17 | prosecuted
to final judgment by the Attorney General on behalf | ||||||
18 | of the Commission. In
all such actions, the procedure and rules | ||||||
19 | of evidence shall conform with
the Civil Practice Law and other | ||||||
20 | rules of court governing civil
trials.
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21 | (d) In addition the Commission may proceed under Section | ||||||
22 | 4-202 of the
Public Utilities Act, either by mandamus or | ||||||
23 | injunction, to secure
compliance with its rules, regulations | ||||||
24 | and orders issued under this Act.
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25 | (e) Any person penalized under this Section is not subject, | ||||||
26 | for the same
cause, to any other penalty provided in the Public |
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1 | Utilities Act.
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2 | (Source: P.A. 91-814, eff. 6-13-00.)
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3 | (220 ILCS 20/7.5 new) | ||||||
4 | Sec. 7.5. NOPV; expedited evaluation. | ||||||
5 | (a) For the purposes of this Section "violation" means a | ||||||
6 | failure to comply with any provision of this Act or any | ||||||
7 | Commission order or rule issued under this Act. | ||||||
8 | (b) After investigation and determination of a violation, | ||||||
9 | the PSP Manager may issue and deposit in the United States mail | ||||||
10 | an NOPV. Any NOPV so issued and mailed may also be posted on | ||||||
11 | the Commission's website as a public document, subject to the | ||||||
12 | requirements of Section 4-404 of the Public Utilities Act. | ||||||
13 | (c) An NOPV shall set forth, at a minimum, the following: | ||||||
14 | (1) the date the NOPV was issued and deposited in the United | ||||||
15 | States mail; (2) a description of the violation or violations | ||||||
16 | alleged; (3) the date and location of the safety incident, if | ||||||
17 | applicable, related to each alleged violation; (4) a detailed | ||||||
18 | description of the circumstances that support the | ||||||
19 | determination of each proposed violation; (5) a detailed | ||||||
20 | description of the corrective action required with respect to | ||||||
21 | each proposed violation; (6) the amount of the penalty proposed | ||||||
22 | with respect to each proposed violation; (7) the applicable | ||||||
23 | deadline for payment of each proposed penalty and for | ||||||
24 | completion of each proposed corrective action (in no event | ||||||
25 | shall any proposed deadline be less than 30 days after the date |
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1 | of the NOPV); (8) the consequences for failure to pay a | ||||||
2 | proposed penalty or to complete any proposed corrective action | ||||||
3 | on or before its respective proposed deadlines; and (9) a brief | ||||||
4 | description of the procedures by which any proposed penalty or | ||||||
5 | proposed corrective action may be challenged at the Commission. | ||||||
6 | (d) Payment in full of each of the proposed penalties and | ||||||
7 | full completion of each of the proposed corrective actions, as | ||||||
8 | identified in the NOPV and in accordance with the terms and | ||||||
9 | conditions set forth in the NOPV, including without limitation | ||||||
10 | the respective deadlines set forth in the NOPV for such payment | ||||||
11 | or completion, shall constitute a final resolution of the NOPV. | ||||||
12 | If one or more of the proposed penalties set forth in an NOPV | ||||||
13 | is not timely paid or if one or more of the proposed corrective | ||||||
14 | actions set forth in an NOPV is not fully and timely completed, | ||||||
15 | all in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in | ||||||
16 | the NOPV, an evaluator may be assigned to conduct an expedited | ||||||
17 | evaluation of the NOPV. If, under such circumstances, an | ||||||
18 | evaluator is not assigned to conduct an expedited evaluation | ||||||
19 | within one year after the date of issuance of the NOPV, the | ||||||
20 | NOPV and related investigation shall be deemed closed. | ||||||
21 | (e) Under an expedited evaluation, the evaluator shall, by | ||||||
22 | written notice, provide an opportunity for the person subject | ||||||
23 | to the NOPV to attend a presentation by the PSP manager of its | ||||||
24 | investigation and recommendations regarding the NOPV and to | ||||||
25 | submit, for consideration by the evaluator, any information, | ||||||
26 | including testimony relevant to any disputed proposed |
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1 | penalties, proposed corrective action, or other alleged | ||||||
2 | failures set forth in the NOPV, or related thereto. The | ||||||
3 | evaluator shall consider such recommendations and information | ||||||
4 | provided, if any, and make its determination on the basis | ||||||
5 | thereof, using the criteria identified in subsection (b) of | ||||||
6 | Section 7 to the extent applicable. The evaluator shall | ||||||
7 | consider all information offered by the parties which the | ||||||
8 | evaluator deems necessary or relevant to understand the | ||||||
9 | circumstances related to the NOPV, assess the disputed issues, | ||||||
10 | and render its determination. The evaluator shall inform the | ||||||
11 | parties of its determination prior to the conclusion of the | ||||||
12 | expedited evaluation, including any recommended penalty or | ||||||
13 | corrective action that the evaluator deems appropriate. The | ||||||
14 | evaluator shall also issue its determination in writing | ||||||
15 | regarding the NOPV within 14 days after the conclusion of the | ||||||
16 | expedited evaluation. | ||||||
17 | (f) An expedited evaluation shall be conducted as an | ||||||
18 | informal proceeding and, as such, shall not be subject to the | ||||||
19 | Illinois Administrative Procedure Act or the Commission's | ||||||
20 | rules of procedure and evidence. The person subject to the | ||||||
21 | NOPV, and any individual speaking on such person's behalf, may | ||||||
22 | participate in the expedited evaluation with or without legal | ||||||
23 | counsel. | ||||||
24 | (g) If the evaluator determines that any penalty or | ||||||
25 | corrective action with respect to the NOPV is warranted, | ||||||
26 | payment in full and full completion of such corrective action |
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1 | in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the | ||||||
2 | evaluator's determination shall constitute a final resolution | ||||||
3 | of the NOPV. | ||||||
4 | (h) If, after the evaluator has considered a particular | ||||||
5 | contested penalty or corrective action identified in an NOPV | ||||||
6 | and made its determination in an expedited evaluation, there | ||||||
7 | remains a dispute as to whether the Commission shall impose a | ||||||
8 | penalty or require corrective action under this Act, the matter | ||||||
9 | shall proceed in the manner set forth in Article X of the | ||||||
10 | Public Utilities Act, including the provisions governing | ||||||
11 | judicial review. | ||||||
12 | (i) Submission of a dispute to an expedited evaluation | ||||||
13 | shall not result in waiver of the right of any party to bring a | ||||||
14 | de novo action before the Commission thereafter, under this | ||||||
15 | Act. No information provided or statements made by a person in | ||||||
16 | an expedited evaluation is admissible in a matter subsequently | ||||||
17 | brought before the Commission regarding the NOPV at issue; | ||||||
18 | provided, however, that if the information provided or | ||||||
19 | statements made are otherwise discoverable, such discoverable | ||||||
20 | information or statements will not be excluded or deemed | ||||||
21 | inadmissible merely because the same were presented in the | ||||||
22 | course of an expedited evaluation. | ||||||
23 | (j) Once an expedited evaluation is initiated, no contested | ||||||
24 | matter may be filed with the Commission regarding the NOPV at | ||||||
25 | issue, until the expedited evaluation is concluded. | ||||||
26 | (k) The Commission shall have the power to adopt rules to |
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1 | implement this Section, to the extent the Commission deems such | ||||||
2 | rules necessary or desirable.
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3 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
4 | becoming law.
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