Step 1 Complaint

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-026774",
  "term": "Step 1 Complaint",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. An enforcement proceeding begins when a Regional Office of EPA (and, on occasion, EPA headquarters) files a Complaint with the appropriate Regional Hearing Clerk.22 The Complaint charges a “person,” which may be an individual, business, municipality, or other entity, with a violation of an environmental law or regulation.23 The Complaint also either proposes a monetary penalty to assess for the particular violation alleged or, where a specific penalty amount is not proposed, identifies the number of violations for which a penalty is sought and briefly explains the severity of each violation alleged. 24 The EPA office that filed the Complaint is called the “Complainant.” The person charged with the violation is called the “Respondent.”\n\n2. Administrative complaint served by the reviewing official on the defendant under §27.7.",
  "references": [
    "Office of Administrative Law Judges Citizen’s Guide October 2010 at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-09/documents/citizens-guide.pdf",
    "40 CFR 27.2 (CFR 2018)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/step-1-complaint/"
}