§ 2-22-7. Penalties for deficient analysis. (a) If the analysis shows that any soil amendment falls short of the guaranteed analysis in any one soil amending ingredient or in total soil amending ingredients, a penalty shall be assessed in favor of the department in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) A penalty of three (3) times the value of the deficiency if the deficiency in any one soil amending ingredient is more than:

(i) Twenty percent (20%) of the guarantee on any one soil amendment in which the soil amending ingredient is guaranteed up to and including twenty percent (20%);

(ii) Four percent (4%) under guarantee on any one soil amendment in which the soil amending ingredient is guaranteed twenty and one-tenth percent (20 1/10%) and above;

(2) A penalty of three (3) times the value of the total soil amending ingredients deficiency is assessed when the total deficiency is more than two percent (2%) under the calculated total soil amending ingredient guarantee;

(3) When a soil amendment is subject to penalty under both subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, only the larger penalty is assessed.

(b) All penalties assessed under this section shall be paid to the director of environmental management within three (3) months after the date of notice from the director to the registrant. The penalty shall be deposited into the general treasury.

(c) Nothing contained in this section prevents any person from appealing to a court of competent jurisdiction for a judgment as to the justification of any penalties imposed under subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

(d) The penalties payable in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall in no manner be construed as limiting the consumer's right to bring a civil action in damage against the registrant paying those civil penalties.

(e) For the purpose of determining commercial values to be applied under the provisions of this section, the director shall determine from the registrant's sales invoice the values charged for the soil amending ingredients. If no invoice is available, or if the invoice fails to provide sufficient information, the director may use other methods to determine values. The values determined shall be used in determining and assessing penalties.

History of Section. (P.L. 1977, ch. 165, § 1.)