(New York, N.Y.) The owners and operators of four gasoline stations in the Buffalo, New York area have been ordered to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a total of $287,100 in penalties. In August 2012, the EPA issued a complaint to owners and operators of gas stations in Buffalo, Amherst, and Tonawanda, N.Y., alleging violations of numerous federal regulations aimed at protecting water from petroleum contamination. One of the companies, Amerimart Development Company, reached an agreement with the EPA to settle alleged violations regarding underground storage tanks at gas stations it owned and operated. Three other companies named in the complaint, Qual-Econ Lease Co., Inc., MJG Enterprises, Inc., and Clear Alternative of Western NY, Inc. (d.b.a. G G Petroleum), chose not to resolve the problems despite numerous attempts by the EPA and an Administrative Law Judge to resolve this case. These three companies have now been ordered by a judge to bring their gas stations into compliance with federal law and to pay the penalties within 30 days.

“Gas station owners will be held accountable if they fail to follow environmental rules that protect our water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “When ground water is not protected from improperly maintained petroleum storage tanks, people and the environment are put at risk. All gas station owners must regularly monitor their underground storage tanks to prevent petroleum leaks.”

Ground water is the source of drinking water for nearly half of all Americans. When petroleum or other hazardous substances leak from underground tanks, such leaks are difficult and expensive to clean, particularly if they involve drinking water.

The August 2012 complaint against these companies alleged that one or more of them failed to:

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.