(a) No member of a regional board shall participate in any board action pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 13260) of Chapter 4, or Article 1 (commencing with Section 13300) of Chapter 5, of this division which involves himself or herself or any waste discharger with which he or she is connected as a director, officer or employee, or in which he or she has a financial interest in the decision within the meaning of Section 87103 of the Government Code. (b) No board member shall participate in any proceeding before any regional board or the state board as a consultant or in any other capacity on behalf of any waste discharger. (c) Upon the request of any person, or on the Attorney General`s own initiative, the Attorney General may file a complaint in the superior court for the county in which the regional board has its principal office alleging that a board member has knowingly violated this section and the facts upon which the allegation is based and asking that the member be removed from office. Further proceedings shall be in accordance as near as may be with rules governing civil actions. If after trial the court finds that the board member has knowingly violated this section it shall pronounce judgment that the member be removed from office.
