Search Results for keywords:"Civil Penalties"

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation issued a final rule to adjust the maximum civil penalties for certain violations, in line with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015. This adjustment is required annually to account for inflation and affects penalties under specific sections of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). For 2025, the penalty amounts have increased to $2,739 under section 4071 and $365 under section 4302. These adjustments apply to penalties assessed after January 8, 2025.

The Department of Justice has proposed a consent decree related to a lawsuit against XTO Energy, Inc. for a 2018 gas well blowout in Ohio that released thousands of tons of methane. Under the proposed agreement, XTO would pay $8 million in penalties, conduct an audit of its operations, and undertake projects to reduce methane emissions. The public is invited to comment on this proposal within 30 days of its announcement. The decree can be reviewed online, and comments may be submitted by email or mail.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has updated its rules to adjust the maximum fines it can charge for violations. This is required by a law called the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, which makes sure penalties keep pace with inflation. Now, fines for breaking the Atomic Energy Act will increase from $303,471 to $307,058 per violation, per day. Additionally, fines related to fraudulent claims under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act will rise from $11,665 to $11,803 per false claim or statement.