Independence car dealership will pay nearly $120,000 after gasoline leaked into creek
A car dealership in Independence will pay nearly $120,000 in fines after thousands of gallons of gasoline spilled into a creek.
CarMax and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with the dealership agreeing to pay $119,440 in civil penalties, EPA spokesman Ben Washburn said in a news release.
Thousands of gallons of gas leaked into Camp Creek from corroded piping attached to a petroleum storage tank used by the facility’s vehicles, the EPA said.
Once the company became aware of the ongoing discharges in July 2019, they notified the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and began cleanup, which is estimated at more than $1 million.
“CarMax is committed to environmental stewardship and has fully cooperated with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to address the accidental release of fuel caused by a broken underground fuel line,” the company said in a statement.
Facilities that store at least 1,320 gallons of oil products in above ground storage tanks are subject to the Clean Water Act. The EPA alleges that CarMax failed to comply with the regulations.
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 3:48 PM.
