State v. Block Iron & Supply Co.

The question presented in this case is whether the State may seek civil forfeitures under § 147.21, STATS., from a business after issuing an administrative order pursuant to § 144.76(7)(c), Stats., requiring the business to remediate pollution it caused. Sadoff & Rudoy Industries contends that § 144.76(ll)(b), which prohibits the State from imposing more than one penalty for an illegal discharge, bars the State's action for civil forfeitures because the State previously imposed a penalty by requiring Sadoff & Rudoy to clean up the pollution at considerable expense. We disagree with Sadoff &…