Washington State Department of Ecology

Penalties

Civil penalties are a monetary incentive to change behavior to ensure compliance with state law. Monetary penalties are aimed at correcting environmental violations and deterring future violations. Ecology considers several factors when deciding the appropriate amount of the penalty.

The nature of the violation:
- Severity of the violation (public health and/or environmental effect).
- Magnitude of the violation (amount and type of pollution).
- Whether the violation was due to negligence, recklessness, or was intentional.
- Precautions taken to prevent the violation.
The prior behavior of the violator:
- Record of similar violations or a pattern of violations.
- Multiple notices of the violation and applicable corrective actions.
Actions taken by the violator to correct the problem:
- Degree of cooperation in working toward compliance.
- Timeliness and appropriateness of corrective actions taken.
- Compensation paid or agreed to for damages to public resources.