Effective - 28 Aug 2008
386.572. Natural gas safety standards, gas plants not to violate — maximum penalties for violations, how determined. — 1. No corporation, person, public utility, or municipality that owns any gas plant shall violate any law or any order, decision, decree, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission or any part or portion thereof relating to federally mandated natural gas safety standards. Notwithstanding the above, a municipality that owns any gas plant shall be subject to the provisions of this section only for violations of natural gas safety laws, rules, or orders.
2. The maximum penalties for violations of federally mandated natural gas safety standards, or such stricter natural gas safety standards or rules as may be approved by the commission, shall not be greater than fifteen thousand dollars for each violation with a maximum penalty for a continuing violation or a multiple series of violations of the same standard or rule provision not to exceed one hundred fifty thousand dollars, notwithstanding any provisions of subsection 1 of section 386.570 to the contrary. The maximum penalty for each violation shall increase to twenty thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2015, twenty-five thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2025, thirty thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2035, and forty thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2040. The maximum penalty for a continuing violation or a multiple series of violations of the same standard or rule provision shall increase to two hundred thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2015, two hundred fifty thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2025, three hundred thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2035, and four hundred thousand dollars, effective January 1, 2040. In determining the amount of the penalty, the commission shall consider the nature, circumstances, and gravity of the violation, and also shall consider, with respect to the entity found to have committed the violation:
(1) The degree of culpability;
(2) Any history of prior violations;
(3) The effect of the penalty on the entity's ability to continue operation;
(4) Any good faith effort in attempting to achieve compliance;
(5) Ability to pay the penalty; and
(6) Such other matters as are relevant in the case.
3. Every violation of a specific natural gas safety standard or rule by any corporation, person, public utility, or municipality that owns any gas plant is a separate and distinct offense, regardless of whether such violations relate to the same incident. In case of a continuing violation, each day's continuance thereof shall be a separate and distinct offense.
4. In construing and enforcing the provisions of this section, the act, omission, or failure of any officer, agent, or employee of any corporation, person, public utility, or municipality that owns any gas plant acting within the scope of official duties of employment shall in every case be considered the act, omission, or failure of such corporation, person, public utility, or municipality that owns any gas plant.
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(L. 2008 H.B. 1779)
Structure Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXV - Incorporation and Regulation of Certain Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 386 - Public Service Commission
Section 386.010 - Short title of law.
Section 386.020 - Definitions.
Section 386.030 - Chapter not applicable to interstate commerce.
Section 386.040 - Commission established.
Section 386.050 - Appointment of commissioners — qualifications — tenure.
Section 386.060 - Removal of commissioners.
Section 386.071 - General counsel authorized, qualifications, duties.
Section 386.090 - Secretary to the commission — duties.
Section 386.110 - Oath of office — eligibility of commissioners and officers.
Section 386.125 - Public service commission, rulemaking authority.
Section 386.130 - Organization of commission — quorum — powers of a commissioner.
Section 386.140 - Chairman — his powers.
Section 386.145 - Records destroyed, when.
Section 386.160 - Payment of salaries and expenses.
Section 386.170 - Publications commission, powers.
Section 386.180 - Duties of publications commission.
Section 386.230 - Act as arbitrators.
Section 386.240 - Powers of commission, how exercised.
Section 386.250 - Jurisdiction of commission.
Section 386.260 - Commission to fix units of service.
Section 386.270 - All orders prima facie lawful and reasonable.
Section 386.280 - Orders to be written — recording — effect — utility office, where kept.
Section 386.290 - Certified copies of papers filed to be evidence.
Section 386.300 - Fees authorized — deposited, where, how.
Section 386.320 - General supervision of telegraph and telephone corporations.
Section 386.380 - Reports of commission.
Section 386.400 - Utilities, corporations and persons may file complaint.
Section 386.430 - Burden of proof on adverse party.
Section 386.450 - Inspection of out of state records.
Section 386.460 - Refusal to attend or produce books or papers, guilty of misdemeanor — penalty.
Section 386.470 - Immunity of witnesses to prosecution.
Section 386.480 - Information not to be divulged — exception — penalty.
Section 386.490 - Service and effect of orders.
Section 386.500 - Rehearing before commission.
Section 386.510 - Review by appellate court.
Section 386.515 - Rehearing, procedure.
Section 386.520 - Appeal, pendency of, staying or suspending operation, when.
Section 386.530 - Priority over other civil cases in court actions granted.
Section 386.550 - Orders to be conclusive.
Section 386.560 - Mishandling records — false statements — penalty — order provisions.
Section 386.570 - Violation of orders — penalty — act of employee declared act of public utility.
Section 386.580 - Employee of public utility guilty of misdemeanor, when.
Section 386.590 - Penalties cumulative.
Section 386.600 - Actions to recover penalties or forfeitures.
Section 386.610 - Substantial compliance with requirements of this chapter sufficient.
Section 386.700 - Public counsel authorized — qualifications — compensation, how fixed.
Section 386.710 - Powers of public counsel.
Section 386.754 - Definitions.
Section 386.756 - Utilities prohibited from engaging in HVAC services, exceptions, penalty.
Section 386.762 - Authority of public service commission.