(a) General. If the complainant has reason to believe that a person has violated any provision of the Antarctic Conservation Act, other Act or attendant regulations, or a permit issued under the ACA, he may institute a proceeding for the assessment of a civil penalty or other sanctions by issuing a complaint under the Act and these rules.

(b) If the complainant has reason to believe that (1) a permittee violated any term or condition of the permit, or (2) a permittee misrepresented or inaccurately described any material fact in the permit application or failed to disclose all relevant facts in the permit application, or (3) other good cause exists for such action, he may institute a proceeding for the revocation or suspension of a permit by issuing a complaint under the Act and these rules. A complaint may seek suspension or revocation of a permit in addition to the assessment of a civil penalty.

(c) Content and amendment of the complaint. All complaints shall include:

(1) A statement reciting the section(s) of the Act, regulations, and/or permit authorizing the issuance of the complaint;

(2) A concise statement of the factual basis for all alleged violations; and

(3) Notice of the respondent's right to request a hearing on any material fact contained in the complaint, or on the appropriateness of the proposed sanction.

(d) Each complaint for the assessment of a civil penalty shall also include:

(1) Specific reference to each provision of the Act and implementing regulations which respondent is alleged to have violated;

(2) The amount of the civil penalty which is proposed to be assessed; and

(3) A statement explaining the reasoning behind the proposed penalty;

(e) Each complaint for the revocation or suspension of a permit shall also include:

(1) Specific reference to each term or condition of the permit which the respondent is alleged to have violated, to each alleged inaccuracy or misrepresentation in respondent's permit application, to each fact which the respondent allegedly failed to disclose in his permit application, or to other reasons which form the basis for the complaint;

(2) A request for an order to either revoke or suspend the permit and a statement of the terms and conditions of any proposed partial suspension or revocation; and

(3) A statement indicating the basis for recommending the revocation, rather than the suspension, of the permit, or vice versa.

A copy of these rules shall accompany each complaint served.

(f) Derivation of proposed civil penalty. The complainant shall determine the dollar amount of the proposed civil penalty in accordance with any criteria set forth in the Act and with any civil penalty guidance issued by NSF.

(g) Amendment of the complaint. The complainant may amend the complaint once as a matter of right at any time before the answer is filed. Otherwise the complainant may amend the complaint only upon motion granted by the Presiding Officer. Respondent shall have twenty (20) additional days from the date of service of the amended complaint to file his answer.

(h) Withdrawal of the complaint. The complainant may withdraw the complaint, or any part thereof, without prejudice one time before the answer has been filed. After one withdrawal before the filing of an answer, or after the filing of an answer, the complainant may withdraw the complaint, or any part thereof, without prejudice, only upon motion granted by the Presiding Officer.

(i) Complainant, in cooperation with the Office of General Counsel, may refer cases to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution if there is reason to believe that respondent willfully violated the Antarctic Conservation Act or its attendant regulations. Such referral does not automatically preclude NSF from proceeding administratively under the Act and these rules against the same respondent.