{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-21l-4","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 21L, § 4","heading":"Environmental violation; penalties","body":"Section 4. (a) A person who knowingly or recklessly commits an environmental violation and thereby causes serious bodily injury to another human being: (1) shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $100,000 for each violation in the case of an individual; and (2) in the case of an organization, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $500,000 for the first violation and a civil penalty of not more than $2,000,000 for any second or subsequent violation.\n(b) A person who knowingly or recklessly commits an environmental violation and thereby causes a substantial risk of damage to natural resources or to the property of another person in an amount exceeding $25,000: (1) shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $100,000 in the case of an individual; and (2) in the case of an organization, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $250,000 for the first violation and by a civil penalty of not more than $500,000 for a second or subsequent violation.\n(c) A person who negligently commits an environmental violation and thereby causes serious bodily injury to another human being or a substantial risk of damage to natural resources or to the property of another person in an amount exceeding $25,000, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $2,500 nor more than $50,000 for the first violation and not less than $2,500 nor more than $100,000 for a second or subsequent violation.\n(d) Each day or part thereof that a violation occurs or continues shall be a separate violation.\n(e) The civil penalty may be assessed in an action brought on behalf of the commonwealth in the superior court.\n(f) Whoever owns or operates a tank vessel carrying 6,000 or more barrels of oil from which oil is spilled into Buzzards Bay and who: (i) fails to provide notice under subsection (a) of section 9 of chapter 21M; or (ii) if such vessel was unaccompanied by a tugboat escort, provides notice under said subsection (a) of said section 9 of said chapter 21M, but fails to request a state pilot under subsection (b) of said section 9 of said chapter 21M; and (iii) violates this chapter shall be assessed triple the penalties provided in this section.","path":["Part I","Title II","Chapter 21L"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter21L/Section4","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:20:02Z","sha256":"d5a751717ddb865e489b31f349bef288480b35bbc75652f16ddafc9430cdb7d8","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-21l-3","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-21m-1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}