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Virginia Gas Station Owner Settles Underground Storage Tank Violations

Release Date: 06/30/2009
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELHIA (June 30, 2009) -- Petro Marketing and Brokerage Company, Inc. (Petro) and Patricia and John Wynn have settled alleged violations of underground storage tank (UST) regulations at three gas stations in Virginia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

The gas stations are: Petro Plus West End facility, Highway 58, Jonesville, Va., Wilderness Trail Market - Tiger Mart (d/b/a Pioneer Market), Route 58 and Route 897, Ewing, Va., and Petro Marketing and Brokerage Company Bulk Plant at Chapel Garden Drive, Jonesville, Va.

PETRO and Mr. and Mrs. Wynne have agreed to pay a collective $31,575 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of federal UST regulations designed to prevent, detect, and control fuel leaks from underground storage tanks.

The alleged violations included:

Petro Plus West End Facility: failure to maintain release detection records for four tanks from August 2005 to March 2006, failure to conduct annual line tightness testing on four tanks from January 2004 to December 2005, and failure to conduct annual line leak detection testing for three tanks from January 2004 to December 2006.

Wilderness Trail Market Facility: failure to conduct annual line tightness testing on three tanks from January 2003 to December 2005 (the facility was sold in December 2005), and failure to conduct annual line leak detection testing on three tanks from January 2003 to December 2005.

Petro Bulk Plant Facility: failure to provide release detection on two tanks from November 2005 to March 2008.

As part of the settlement, the company and Mr. and Mrs. Wynn neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but certified their compliance with applicable UST regulations. The settlement reflects the company’s cooperation with EPA’s investigation, and good faith compliance efforts.

With millions of gallons of gasoline oil, and other petroleum products stored in USTs throughout the U.S., leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. EPA and state UST regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks, and to promptly detect and properly address leaks which do occur, thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the cost of major cleanup.

For more information about underground storage tanks, visit www.epa.gov/swerust1/.