A. 
Notification of violation. Whenever the Water and Sewer Department (WPC Department) finds that any industrial user has violated or is violating this chapter or a wastewater permit or order issued hereunder, the WPC Department or his agent may serve upon said user written notice of the violation. Within 10 days of the receipt date of this notice, an explanation of the violation and a plan for the satisfactory correction and prevention thereof, to include specific required actions, shall be submitted to the WPC Department. Submission of this plan in no way relieves the user of liability for any violations occurring before or after receipt of the notice of violation.
B. 
Consent orders. The WPC Department is hereby empowered to enter into consent orders, assurances of voluntary compliance or other similar documents establishing an agreement with the industrial user responsible for the noncompliance. Such orders will include specific action to be taken by the industrial user to correct the noncompliance within a time period also specified by the order. Consent orders shall have the same force and effect as administrative orders issued pursuant to Subsection D below.
C. 
Show cause hearing. The WPC Department may order any industrial user which causes or contributes to violation of this chapter or wastewater permit or order issued hereunder, to show cause why a proposed enforcement action should not be taken. Notice shall be served on the user specifying the time and place for the meeting, the proposed enforcement action and the reasons for such action and a request that the user show cause why this proposed enforcement action should not be taken. The notice of the meeting shall be served personally or by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested) at least 10 days prior to the hearing. Such notice may be served on any principal executive, general partner or corporate officer. Whether or not a duly notified industrial user appears as noticed, immediate enforcement action may be pursued.
D. 
Compliance order. When the WPC Department finds that an industrial user has violated or continues to violate this chapter or a permit or order issued thereunder, he may issue an order to the industrial user responsible for the discharge directing that, following a specified time period, sewer service shall be discontinued unless adequate treatment facilities, devices or other related appurtenances have been installed and are properly operated. Orders may also contain such other requirements as might be reasonably necessary and appropriate to address the noncompliance, including the installation of pretreatment technology, additional self-monitoring and management practices.
E. 
Cease and desist orders. When the WPC Department finds that an industrial user has violated or continues to violate this chapter or any permit or order issued hereunder, the Water and Sewer Department may issue an order to cease and desist all such violations and direct those persons in noncompliance:
(1) 
To comply forthwith.
(2) 
To take such appropriate remedial or preventive action as may be needed to properly address a continuing or threatened violation, including halting operations and terminating the discharge.
F. 
Public notification. The City shall publish annually in the largest local daily paper a list of industrial users which at any time during the previous 12 months were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment requirements. For the purpose of this provision, an industrial user is in significant noncompliance if its violation(s) meets one or more of the following criteria:
(1) 
Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of all of the measurements taken during a six-month period exceed (by any magnitude) the daily maximum limit or the average limit for the same pollutant parameter.
(2) 
Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of all of the measurements for each pollutant parameter taken during a six-month period equal or exceed the product of the daily maximum limit or the average limit multiplied by the applicable TRC (TRC equals 1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oil and grease and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH).
(3) 
Any other violation of a pretreatment effluent limit (daily maximum or longer-term average) that the control authority determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass-through (including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public).
(4) 
Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or to the environment or has resulted in the POTW's exercise of its emergency authority under 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(vi)(B) to halt or prevent such a discharge.
(5) 
Failure to meet, within 90 days after the schedule date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a local control mechanism or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction or attaining final compliance.
(6) 
Failure to provide, within 30 days after the due date, required reports such as baseline monitoring reports, 90-day compliance reports, periodic self-monitoring reports and reports on compliance with compliance schedules.
(7) 
Failure to accurately report noncompliance.
(8) 
Any other violation or group of violations which the POTW determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.
G. 
Injunctive relief.
(1) 
In general. The Water and Sewer Department may bring an action for an injunction against any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any rules, regulation, order or permit adopted or issued under this chapter.
(2) 
Findings. In any action for an injunction under this subsection, any finding of Water and Sewer Department after hearing is prima facie evidence of each fact the Water and Sewer Department determines.
(3) 
Grounds. On a showing that any person is violating or is about to violate this chapter or any rule, regulation, order or permit adopted or issued by Water and Sewer Department, the court shall grant an injunction without requiring a showing of a lack of an adequate remedy at law.
(4) 
Emergency. If an emergency arises due to imminent danger to the public health or welfare or imminent danger to the environment, the Water and Sewer Department may sue for an immediate injunction to stop any pollution or other activity that is causing the danger.
H. 
Harmful contributions.
(1) 
The City may suspend the wastewater treatment service and/or wastewater discharge permit when such suspension is necessary, in the opinion of the City, in order to stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons or to the environment, causes interference to the POTW or causes the City to violate any condition of its NPDES permit or sludge disposal.
(2) 
Any person notified of a suspension of the wastewater treatment service and/or wastewater discharge permit shall immediately stop or eliminate the contribution. In the event of a failure of the person to comply voluntarily with the suspension order, the City shall immediately sever the sewer connection in order to prevent or minimize damage to the POTW system or endangerment to any individuals. The City may reinstate the wastewater treatment service and/or wastewater discharge permit upon proof of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge. A detailed written statement submitted by the user describing the causes of the harmful contribution and the measures taken to prevent any future occurrence shall be submitted to the City within 15 days of the date of occurrence.
I. 
Any violation of an industrial waste discharge permit constitutes a violation of this chapter of the Code of the City of Hagerstown and will be subject to a fine of $1,000 per day for each day that an industrial waste discharge limitation is violated. This penalty is in addition to any surcharge rates assessed pursuant to § 240-47 of the Code of the City of Hagerstown.
J. 
Administrative fines. Notwithstanding any other section of this chapter, any user who is found to have violated any provision of this chapter, or permits and orders issued hereunder, shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $1,000 per violation. Each day on which noncompliance shall occur or continue shall be deemed a separate and distinct violation. Such assessments may be added to the user's next scheduled sewer service charge, and the WPC Department shall have such other collection remedies as he has to collect other service charges. Unpaid charges, fines and penalties shall constitute a lien against the individual user's property. Industrial users desiring to dispute such fines must file a request for the WPC Department to reconsider the fine within 10 days of being notified of the fine. Where the WPC Department believes a request has merit, he shall convene a hearing on the matter within 15 days of receiving the request from the industrial user.
A. 
Injunctive relief. Whenever a user has violated a pretreatment standard or requirement or continues to violate the provisions of this chapter, wastewater discharge permits or orders issued hereunder or any other pretreatment requirement, the City may petition the appropriate court having jurisdiction through the City Attorney for the issuance of a temporary or permanent injunction, as appropriate, which restrains or compels the specific performance of the wastewater discharge permit, order or other requirement imposed by this chapter on activities of the industrial user. Such other action as appropriate for legal and/or equitable relief may also be sought by the City. A petition for injunctive relief need not be filed as a prerequisite to taking any other action against a user.
B. 
Civil penalties.
(1) 
Any user which has violated or continues to violate this chapter, any order or wastewater discharge permit hereunder or any other pretreatment standard or requirement shall be liable to the City for a maximum civil penalty of $1,000 per violation per day. In the case of a monthly or other long-term average discharge limit, penalties shall accrue for each day during the period of the violation.
(2) 
The City may recover reasonable attorney's fees, court costs and other expenses associated with enforcement activities, including sampling and monitoring expenses and the cost of any actual damages incurred by the City.
(3) 
In determining the amount of civil liability, the court shall take into account all relevant circumstances, including but not limited to the extent of harm caused by the violation, the magnitude and duration, any economic benefit gained through the user's violation, corrective actions by the user, the compliance history of the user and any other factor as justice requires.
(4) 
Filing a suit for civil penalties shall not be a prerequisite for taking any other action against a user.
C. 
Criminal prosecution.
(1) 
Any user that willfully or negligently violates any provision of this chapter, any orders or wastewater discharge permits issued hereunder or any other pretreatment requirement shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 per violation per day and/or imprisonment for not more than six months.
(2) 
Any user that willfully or negligently introduces any substance into the POTW which causes personal injury or property damage shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and be subject to a penalty of at least $1,000 per violation per day and/or be subject to imprisonment for six months. This penalty shall be in addition to any other cause of action for personal injury or property damage available under state law.
(3) 
Any user that knowingly makes any false statements, representations or certifications in any application, record, report, plan or other documentation filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter, wastewater discharge permit or order or who falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under this chapter shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 per violation per day and/or imprisonment for not more than six months.
(4) 
In the event of a second conviction, a user shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 per violation per day and/or imprisonment for not more than six months.
An industrial user may allow any bypass to occur which does not cause pretreatment standards or requirements to be violated, but only if it also is for essential maintenance to assure efficient operation. These bypasses are not subject to the provision of Subsections A and B and of this section.
A. 
Notice.
(1) 
If an industrial users knows in advance of the need for a bypass, it shall submit prior notice to the control authority, if possible at least 10 days before the date of the bypass.
(2) 
An industrial user shall submit oral notice of an unanticipated bypass that exceeds applicable pretreatment standards to the control authority within 24 hours from the time the industrial user becomes aware of the bypass. A written submission shall also be provided within five days of the time the industrial user becomes aware of the bypass. The written submission shall contain a description of the bypass and its cause; the duration of the bypass, including exact dates and times and if the bypass has not been corrected; the anticipated time it is expected to continue; and steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate and prevent reoccurrence of the bypass. The control authority may waive the written report on a case-by-case basis if the oral report has been received within 24 hours.
B. 
Prohibition of bypass.
(1) 
Bypass is prohibited and the control authority may take enforcement action against an industrial user for a bypass unless:
(a) 
Bypass was unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury or severe property damage;
(b) 
There were not feasible alternatives to the bypass, such as the use of auxiliary treatment facilities, retention of untreated wastes or maintenance during normal period of equipment downtime. This condition is not satisfied if adequate backup equipment should have been installed in the exercise of reasonable engineering judgment to prevent a bypass which occurred during normal periods of equipment downtime or preventative maintenance; and
(c) 
The industrial user submitted notices as required under Subsection A of this section.
(2) 
The control authority may approve an anticipated bypass, after considering its adverse effects, if the control authority determines that it will meet the three conditions listed in Subsection B(1) of this section.
An "upset" means an exceptional incident in which there is unintentional and temporary noncompliance with Categorical Pretreatment Standards because of factors beyond the reasonable control of the industrial user. An upset does not include noncompliance to the extent caused by operational error, improperly designed treatment facilities, inadequate treatment facilities, lack of preventative maintenance or careless or improper operation. An upset can be used as an affirmative defense to an action brought for noncompliance with Categorical Pretreatment Standards, provided that the industrial user meets certain conditions. An industrial user who wishes to establish the affirmative defense of upset must demonstrate, through properly signed, contemporaneous operating logs or other relevant evidence, that:
A. 
An upset occurred and the industrial user can identify the cause or causes.
B. 
The facility was at the time being operated in a prudent and workmanlike manner and in compliance with applicable operation and maintenance procedures.
C. 
The industrial user has submitted the following information to the City within 24 hours of becoming aware of the upset (if this information is provided orally, a written submission must follow within five days): a description of the indirect discharge and cause of noncompliance; the period of noncompliance, including exact dates and times, or if not corrected, the anticipated time the noncompliance is expected to continue; steps being taken or planned to reduce, eliminate and prevent recurrence of the noncompliance.
D. 
In any enforcement proceeding the industrial user seeking to establish the occurrence of an upset shall have the burden of proof.
E. 
Industrial users will have the opportunity for judicial determination on any claim of upset only in an enforcement action brought for noncompliance with categorical pretreatment standards.
F. 
The industrial user shall control production of all discharges to the extent necessary to maintain compliance with categorical pretreatment standards upon reduction, loss or failure of its treatment facility until the facility is restored or an alternative method of treatment is provided. This requirement applies in the situation where, among other things, the primary source of power of the treatment facility is reduced, lost or fails.
Information and data about a user obtained from reports, questionnaires, permit applications, permits and monitoring programs and from inspections shall be made available to the public unless the user specifically requests and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that the release of such information would divulge information, processes or methods of production entitled to protection as trade secrets of the user. When requested by the person furnishing the report, the portions of a report which might disclose trade secrets or secret processes shall not be made available to the general public for inspection except upon written request. Confidential portions of a report shall be made available for use by the state or EPA in judicial review or enforcement proceedings involving the person or company furnishing the report. Wastewater constituents and characteristics shall not be recognized as confidential.