Bill > HB210

This bill seeks to update and significantly increase environmental violation penalties across multiple Delaware state codes, with a particular focus on providing more substantial financial consequences for commercial polluters and directing more penalty funds to impacted communities. The bill raises minimum and maximum fines across various environmental regulations, often increasing penalties from ranges like $25-$1,000 to $250-$5,000, and in some cases raising maximum fines from $10,000 to $40,000. A key provision requires that no less than 40% of criminal penalties be deposited into a Community Environmental Project Fund, which will prioritize projects benefiting communities within two miles of a specific environmental violation. The legislation also introduces a more comprehensive framework for defining "chronic violators" - entities that demonstrate a persistent pattern of environmental regulatory non-compliance - and provides additional enforcement mechanisms for such repeat offenders. The bill aims to create stronger financial disincentives for environmental violations, increase accountability for industrial polluters, and ensure that communities most directly impacted by environmental infractions receive tangible benefits from resulting penalty funds. By increasing both the severity of financial penalties and the transparency of penalty fund allocation, the bill represents a significant attempt to strengthen environmental protection and environmental justice in Delaware.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=142436