(a) Any hearing required under this section shall be conducted by an independent hearing officer according to the procedures specified in Sections 11507 to 11517, inclusive, of the Government Code, except as otherwise specified in this section. In making a determination, the hearing officer shall take into consideration the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation, the violator’s past and present efforts to prevent, abate, or clean up conditions posing a threat to the public health or safety or the environment, the violator’s ability to pay the proposed civil penalty, and the prophylactic effect that imposition of the proposed penalty will have on both the violator and on the regulated community as a whole.
(b) After conducting any hearing required under this section, the hearing officer shall, within 30 days after the case is submitted, issue a decision, including an order setting the amount of civil penalty to be imposed, if any.