(A) Except for the federal government, the owner of a dam, that is classified as a class I, class II, or class III dam under rules adopted under section 1521.06 of the Revised Code and subject to section 1521.062 of the Revised Code shall pay an annual fee in accordance with the annual fee schedule established in rules adopted under division (B) of this section. The fee shall be paid to the division of water resources on or before the thirtieth day of June of each year.

All fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the dam safety fund created in section 1521.06 of the Revised Code. Any owner who fails to pay any annual fee required by this section within sixty days after the due date shall be assessed a penalty of ten per cent of the annual fee plus interest at the rate of one-half per cent per month from the due date until the date of payment.

There is hereby created the compliant dam discount program to be administered by the chief of the division of water resources. Under the program, the chief may reduce the amount of the annual fee that an owner of a dam is required to pay in accordance with rules adopted by the chief under division (B) of this section if the owner is in compliance with section 1521.062 of the Revised Code and has developed an emergency action plan pursuant to standards established in rules adopted under this section. The chief shall not discount an annual fee by more than twenty-five per cent of the total annual fee that is due. In addition, the chief shall not discount the annual fee that is due from the owner of a dam who has been assessed a penalty under this section.

(B)

(1) The chief shall, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and subject to the prior approval of the director of natural resources, adopt, and may amend or rescind, rules for the collection of fees and the administration, implementation, and enforcement of this section.

(2) The chief shall, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, adopt rules for the establishment of an annual fee schedule for purposes of this section.

(3) The annual fee schedule must be based on the height of the dam, the linear foot length of the dam, and the per-acre foot of volume of water impounded by the dam. For purposes of this section, the height of a dam is the vertical height, to the nearest foot, as determined by the division under section 1521.062 of the Revised Code.

(C) No person, political subdivision, or state governmental agency shall violate or fail to comply with this section or any rule or order adopted or issued under it.

(D) As used in this section, "political subdivision" includes townships, municipal corporations, counties, school districts, municipal universities, park districts, sanitary districts, and conservancy districts and subdivisions thereof.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 1/1/2016.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009 and 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 09-26-2003 .

Related Legislative Provision: See 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §812.30.