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Department of Ecology News Release - Oct. 8, 2003
03-197
YAKIMA - An Okanogan gas station has been fined $87,100 for not complying with requirements designed to protect the environment from leaking petroleum.
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has penalized Gagandeep Singh Bains for not meeting 1998 upgrade requirements for underground storage tanks. Bains' violations include not providing corrosion protection and not monitoring for releases at his Flying B gas station at 2042 Elm Way in Okanogan. In addition, Bains has not met testing and record-keeping requirements for the station.
"Monitoring for releases and providing corrosion protection is an important part of safely operating a gas station," explained Don Abbott, a manager with Ecology's toxic cleanup program. "There is no way of knowing whether there has been a leak at Mr. Bains' gas station, because he's not set up to know."
Abbott noted that the Flying B does not have the most important environmental protections needed to keep releases from occurring and potentially harming people and the environment.
"Our staff has been working with Mr. Bains, and reminder notices were sent and inspections made in an effort to bring the station into compliance," Abbott said.
Bains has 30 days to pay the penalty or appeal to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
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Media contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
