HB 933 -- Environmental Audits

Sponsor:  Bivins

This bill sets out in detail the conditions under which
noncompliance with environmental regulations by an entity subject
to environmental law will be protected from administrative,
civil, and criminal penalties and prosecution and public
disclosure pursuant to Chapter 610, RSMo.

The principal conditions include:

(1)  Discovery of the noncompliance through a voluntary, as
opposed to legally mandated, internal environmental audit or
compliance management system;

(2)  Full and timely disclosure of the noncompliance to the
Department of Natural Resources;

(3)  Discovery and disclosure of the noncompliance prior to any
governmental inspection or investigation, third-party complaint,
whistle-blower employee report, or imminent discovery by any
regulatory department or agency;

(4)  Time limits for correcting the noncompliance;

(5)  Written agreements to take necessary steps to prevent
recurrence;

(6)  Absence of occurrence of the identical noncompliance by the
facility within the previous three years or within the previous
five years at facilities owned or operated by the same entity;
and

(7)  The entity's cooperation with the department to determine
the applicability of the protections afforded by the bill.

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:14 am