Section 16. Except where otherwise specifically provided, whenever it appears to the department that there has been a violation of this chapter, or any regulation or approval issued or adopted hereunder, the department may refer the toxics user to the office for technical assistance, issue administrative orders requiring compliance with the applicable requirement, or issue an administrative penalty pursuant to the provisions of section sixteen of chapter twenty-one A.
Without limiting any other authority available to the department pursuant to any statute, the department may order a toxics user who violates any standard limiting a release of toxic or hazardous substances to the environment, or a threat of such release, to prepare for that production unit at which the violation occurred a toxics use reduction plan certified by a toxics use reduction planner demonstrating maximum toxics use reduction opportunities available to that user, where (i) the violation causes or threatens to cause significant harm to the environment or to public health or safety, or (ii) the toxics user has previously violated any standard limiting a release of toxic or hazardous substances to the environment, or a threat of such release.
Any toxics user in violation of any requirement of this chapter, or any regulation or approval issued or adopted hereunder, may apply to the department for a toxics use reduction waiver pursuant to section seventeen.
Nothing in this section shall in any manner diminish or condition any authority conferred on the department by any other statute.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth
Chapter 21i - Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act
Section 3 - Duties of the Department
Section 4 - Administrative Council on Toxics Use Reduction
Section 6 - Toxics Use Reduction Institute
Section 7 - Office of Technical Assistance and Technology; Responsibilities and Programs
Section 8 - Responsibilities of All State Agencies
Section 9 - Toxic or Hazardous Substance List
Section 9a - Threshold Amounts for Toxic or Hazardous Substances
Section 10 - Annual Toxic or Hazardous Substance Reports
Section 11 - Toxics Use Reduction Plans
Section 12 - Toxics Use Reduction Planners
Section 13 - Statewide Reduction Goal
Section 14 - Prioritization of User Segments
Section 15 - Performance Standards
Section 16 - Improved Enforcement of Toxics Laws
Section 17 - Toxics Use Reduction Waiver
Section 18 - Citizen Involvement
Section 19 - Establishment of Toxics Use Fee
Section 20 - Trade Secret Protection