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Arizona Revised Statutes Title 49. The Environment § 49-263.01. Arizona pollutant discharge elimination system program; violation; classification; enforcement

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

A. It is unlawful for any person who is subject to § 49-255.01, 49-255.02 or 49-256.01 to knowingly or recklessly:

1. Discharge without a permit or appropriate authority under article 3.1 of this chapter.  1

2. Fail to monitor, sample or report discharges as required by a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter.

3. Violate a discharge limitation or standard specified in a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter.

4. Alter, modify or destroy any monitoring device, sampling method, analytical method or test result required in a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter in order to render the device or method inaccurate.

5. Fail to maintain, operate or repair any monitoring device required in a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter in order to render the device inaccurate, or fail to install any monitoring device required in a permit issued pursuant to article 3.1 of this chapter.

6. Bypass or divert waste streams from the treatment works or any portion of the treatment works resulting in a discharge, except as authorized by a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter.

7. Violate an effective compliance order issued for violations of article 3.1 of this chapter.

B. A reckless violation of subsection A of this section is a class 6 felony.

C. A knowing violation of subsection A of this section is a class 5 felony.

D. A person who, acting with criminal negligence, does any of the following is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor:

1. Violates any condition of a permit issued under article 3.1 of this chapter.

2. Violates any applicable standard, limitation, filing or reporting requirement imposed under article 3.1 of this chapter.

E. A person who knowingly or recklessly manifests an extreme indifference for human life in performing an act that is prohibited under subsection A of this section is guilty of a class 2 felony and the following apply:

1. In determining whether a defendant who is an individual knowingly or recklessly manifests an extreme indifference for human life under this subsection:

(a) The person is responsible only for actual awareness or actual belief that the person possessed.

(b) Knowledge possessed by a person other than the defendant but not by the defendant may not be attributed to the defendant, except that in proving the defendant's possession of actual knowledge, circumstantial evidence may be used, including evidence that affirmative steps were taken by the defendant to shield the defendant from relevant information.

2. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this subsection that the conduct charged was consented to by the person endangered and that the danger and conduct charged were reasonably foreseeable hazards of either:

(a) An occupation, a business or a profession.

(b) Medical treatment or medical or scientific experimentation conducted by professionally approved methods and the other person had been made aware of the risks involved before giving consent.

A defense may be established pursuant to this paragraph by a preponderance of the evidence.

F. A person who knowingly introduces into a sewer system or into a treatment works any pollutant or hazardous substance that the person knew could cause personal injury or property damage or, other than in compliance with all applicable federal, state or local requirements or permits, that causes the treatment works to violate any discharge limitation or condition in a permit issued to the treatment works pursuant to article 3.1 of this chapter or section 402 of the clean water act is guilty of a class 5 felony.

G. A person who knowingly violates a pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement imposed under article 3.1 of this chapter, or any other federal pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement, or any state or municipal pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement enacted to meet the state's or municipality's obligations pursuant to article 3.1 of this chapter is guilty of a class 5 felony.

H. Each day of violation of any provision of this section constitutes a separate offense.

I. The attorney general may enforce this section.

1 Section 49-255 et seq.
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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Arizona Revised Statutes Title 49. The Environment § 49-263.01. Arizona pollutant discharge elimination system program; violation; classification; enforcement - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/az/title-49-the-environment/az-rev-st-sect-49-263-01/

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