Under current law, the maximum penalty for air quality violations is only $25,000 even when negligence can be demonstrated.
Democratic Senator Loni Hancock says in cases like the Chevron oil refinery fire, it should be more.
She represents the Bay area where she says the average fine for a violation is just $500.
Hancock: "Number one the fines are very low the fines are actually a minor cost of doing business for large emitters and an incident that might affect 10 people and an incident that might affect 15,000 people will have the same fine."
She's authoring a bill that would increase the penalty for air
quality violations from large polluters to $100,000 for one
day.
Other lawmakers have proposed legislation to allow OSHA to
correct unsafe conditions… even if a business is in an appeals
process.
