The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday announced PennDOT will pay a $26,066 penalty for underground storage tank violations in Brownsville, Fayette County, and Franklin, Venango County where facilities stored diesel fuel.

The settlement addresses compliance with environmental regulations that help protect communities and the environment from exposure to oil or potentially harmful chemicals.

At the facilities, the PennDOT allegedly did not conduct proper monitoring or testing of detectors on pipelines for leaks and did not maintain proper monitoring records regarding the underground tanks. None of the violations included any type of release or leak from the tanks or pipes.

The Brownsville facility is located at the intersection of Routes 40 and 88, and the Franklin facility is at 1460 Pittsburgh Road.

With millions of gallons of petroleum products and hazardous substances stored in underground storage tanks throughout the country, leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. 

EPA and state regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks and to promptly detect and properly address leaks thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the costs of major cleanups.

The settlement penalty reflects PennDOT’s cooperation with EPA in correcting the violations.

For more information on underground storage tanks, go to EPA’s Underground Storage Tanks webpage.

10/24/2016