42 U.S.C. § 11046 | Civil actions

(a)

Authority to bring civil actions

(1)

Citizen suits

Except as provided in subsection (e), any person may commence a civil action on his own behalf against the following:

(A)

An owner or operator of a facility for failure to do any of the following:

(i)

section 11004(c) of this title Submit a followup emergency notice under .

(ii)

section 11021(a) of this title Submit a material safety data sheet or a list under .

(iii)

section 11022(a) of this title section 11022(d)(1) of this title section 11022(a)(2) of this title Complete and submit an inventory form under containing tier I information as described in unless such requirement does not apply by reason of the second sentence of .

(iv)

section 11023(a) of this title Complete and submit a toxic chemical release form under .

(B)

The Administrator for failure to do any of the following:

(i)

section 11022(g) of this title Publish inventory forms under .

(ii)

section 11023(e)(1) of this title Respond to a petition to add or delete a chemical under within 180 days after receipt of the petition.

(iii)

1 So in original. Probably should be preceded by “section”.

Publish a toxic chemical release form under 11023(g)  of this title.

(iv)

section 11023(j) of this title Establish a computer database in accordance with .

(v)

section 11042(c) of this title Promulgate trade secret regulations under .

(vi)

section 11042(d) of this title Render a decision in response to a petition under within 9 months after receipt of the petition.

(C)

section 11044(a) of this title The Administrator, a State Governor, or a State emergency response commission, for failure to provide a mechanism for public availability of information in accordance with .

(D)

section 11022(e)(3) of this title A State Governor or a State emergency response commission for failure to respond to a request for tier II information under within 120 days after the date of receipt of the request.

(2)

State or local suits

(A)

Any State or local government may commence a civil action against an owner or operator of a facility for failure to do any of the following:

(i)

section 11002(c) of this title Provide notification to the emergency response commission in the State under .

(ii)

section 11021(a) of this title Submit a material safety data sheet or a list under .

(iii)

section 11021(c) of this title Make available information requested under .

(iv)

section 11022(a) of this title section 11022(a)(2) of this title Complete and submit an inventory form under containing tier I information unless such requirement does not apply by reason of the second sentence of .

(B)

section 11003(d) of this title section 11022(e)(1) of this title Any State emergency response commission or local emergency planning committee may commence a civil action against an owner or operator of a facility for failure to provide information under or for failure to submit tier II information under .

(C)

section 11042(g) of this title Any State may commence a civil action against the Administrator for failure to provide information to the State under .

(b)

Venue

(1)

Any action under subsection (a) against an owner or operator of a facility shall be brought in the district court for the district in which the alleged violation occurred.

(2)

Any action under subsection (a) against the Administrator may be brought in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

(c)

Relief

The district court shall have jurisdiction in actions brought under subsection (a) against an owner or operator of a facility to enforce the requirement concerned and to impose any civil penalty provided for violation of that requirement. The district court shall have jurisdiction in actions brought under subsection (a) against the Administrator to order the Administrator to perform the act or duty concerned.

(d)

Notice

(1)

No action may be commenced under subsection (a)(1)(A) prior to 60 days after the plaintiff has given notice of the alleged violation to the Administrator, the State in which the alleged violation occurs, and the alleged violator. Notice under this paragraph shall be given in such manner as the Administrator shall prescribe by regulation.

(2)

No action may be commenced under subsection (a)(1)(B) or (a)(1)(C) prior to 60 days after the date on which the plaintiff gives notice to the Administrator, State Governor, or State emergency response commission (as the case may be) that the plaintiff will commence the action. Notice under this paragraph shall be given in such manner as the Administrator shall prescribe by regulation.

(e)

Limitation

No action may be commenced under subsection (a) against an owner or operator of a facility if the Administrator has commenced and is diligently pursuing an administrative order or civil action to enforce the requirement concerned or to impose a civil penalty under this Act with respect to the violation of the requirement.

(f)

Costs

The court, in issuing any final order in any action brought pursuant to this section, may award costs of litigation (including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees) to the prevailing or the substantially prevailing party whenever the court determines such an award is appropriate. The court may, if a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction is sought, require the filing of a bond or equivalent security in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(g)

Other rights

Nothing in this section shall restrict or expand any right which any person (or class of persons) may have under any Federal or State statute or common law to seek enforcement of any requirement or to seek any other relief (including relief against the Administrator or a State agency).

(h)

Intervention

(1)

By the United States

In any action under this section the United States or the State, or both, if not a party, may intervene as a matter of right.

(2)

By persons

In any action under this section, any person may intervene as a matter of right when such person has a direct interest which is or may be adversely affected by the action and the disposition of the action may, as a practical matter, impair or impede the person’s ability to protect that interest unless the Administrator or the State shows that the person’s interest is adequately represented by existing parties in the action.

Pub. L. 99–499, title III, § 326Oct. 17, 1986100 Stat. 1755(, , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 99–499Oct. 17, 1986100 Stat. 1613 section 9601 of this titleThis Act, referred to in subsec. (e), is , , , known as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1986 Amendment note set out under and Tables.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, referred to in subsec. (f), are set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.