[Water_news] 4. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS -WATER QUALITY- 4/15/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

April 15, 2009

 

4. Water Quality –

 

State joins Riverside County environmental lawsuit against TravelCenters of America

The Riverside Press-Enterprise – 4/14/09

By Duane W. Gang

 

California Attorney General Jerry Brown is suing a national gas station and truck-stop chain for failing to comply with underground fuel storage laws at a Riverside County location.

 

Brown's office made the announcement Monday that it had joined in a lawsuit that Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco filed in July.

 

The lawsuit contends that TravelCenters of America disregarded California's fuel storage laws and failed to have proper containment and detection equipment for hazardous-material storage and improperly disabled sensors that detect leaks.

 

The company operates the Coachella Travel Center off Interstate 10 at the Dillon Road exit.

 

According to the attorney general's office, the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health conducted inspections of the travel center and found longstanding violations of the state's underground storage tank law. The company failed to correct many of the violations despite warnings, the attorney general's office said.

 

"TravelCenters of America has knowingly and repeatedly disregarded California's underground fuel storage laws for years," Brown said in a statement. "This has put the Inland Empire's scarce groundwater supplies at serious risk of contamination."

 

Pacheco asked Brown to join the lawsuit, and a Riverside County judge granted the request April 3.

 

"We requested the attorney general's assistance because our investigation uncovered evidence of endangered water supplies in our county as well as other counties beyond our enforcement jurisdiction," Pacheco spokesman Michael Jeandron said by e-mail.

 

A TravelCenters spokesman did not respond to a phone and e-mail message seeking comment.

 

But in legal papers, the Ohio-based company denied the allegations and opposed Brown's attempt to join the case.

 

The company said the district attorney and attorney general complaints are notable for the absence of any past environmental harm or that any alleged violations will result in future damage.

 

"Rather, the attorney general's proposed complaint concerns events that occurred years ago and does not allege any ongoing violations of the law," the company said. #

 

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_lawsuit14.3cff4f8.html

 

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