(a) General. Any person who violates any provisions of this part 218 or any order issued pursuant thereto shall be subject to penalties and sanctions as provided herein.
(1) The provisions herein for penalties and sanctions shall be deemed cumulative and not mutually exclusive.
(2) Each day that a violation of the provisions of this part 218 or any order issued pursuant thereto continues shall be deemed to constitute a separate violation within the meaning of the provisions of this part relating to fines and civil penalties.
(b) Penalties. (1) Any person who violates any provision of this part or any order issued pursuant thereto shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $28,020 for each violation.
(2) Any person who willfully violates any provision of this part 218 or any order issued pursuant thereto shall be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 for each violation.
(3) Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this part 218 or any order issued pursuant thereto with respect to the sale, offer of sale, or distribution in commerce of oil in commerce after having been subject to a sanction under paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section for a prior violation of the provisions of this part 218 or any order issued pursuant thereto with respect to the sale, offer of sale, or distribution in commerce of oil shall be subject to a fine of not more than $50,000 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, for each violation.
(4) Actions for penalties under this section are prosecuted by the Department of Justice upon referral by the DOE.
(5) When the DOE considers it to be appropriate or advisable, the DOE may compromise and settle any action under this paragraph, and collect civil penalties.
(c) Other Penalties. Willful concealment of material facts, or making of false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations, or submission of a document containing false, fictitious or fraudulent statements pertaining to matters within the scope of this part 218 by any person shall subject such persons to the criminal penalties provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001 (1970).
[44 FR 27972, May 14, 1979, as amended at 62 FR 46183, Sept. 2, 1997; 74 FR 66032, Dec. 14, 2009; 79 FR 19, Jan. 2, 2014; 81 FR 41793, June 28, 2016; 81 FR 96351, Dec. 30, 2016; 83 FR 1291, Jan. 11, 2018; 83 FR 66083, Dec. 26, 2018; 85 FR 830, Jan. 8, 2020; 86 FR 2955, Jan. 14, 2021; 87 FR 1063, Jan. 10, 2022; 88 FR 2193, Jan. 13, 2023; 89 FR 1027, Jan. 9, 2024]