citizen suits; environment

HB 2240 amends Arizona laws to clarify and strengthen private citizen lawsuits for environmental violations. It allows people directly harmed by breaches of water or air quality rules to sue polluters, government agencies, or the director, but requires a 120-day notice period for water cases (Section 49-264) or 60 days for air cases (Section 49-407) before filing. The bill prevents duplicate lawsuits by blocking citizen suits if the state is already enforcing violations, and permits courts to award attorney fees to successful plaintiffs while directing penalty funds to specific environmental funds. This creates a clearer legal pathway for citizens to enforce environmental protections without duplicating government enforcement efforts.