Shell Oil paying millions for tank violations
November 6, 2009 | 2:23
pm
Shell Oil Co. will pay $19.5 million in civil penalties and fees to settle a state complaint involving hundreds of environmental violations at its California gas stations.
A state investigation found problems with leak detection and monitoring of underground storage tanks, as well as hazardous waste handling at Shell gas stations across the state, according to the attorney general's office. One of the gas stations was next door to the office of the Contra Costa County hazardous materials program.
An Alameda County Superior Court order released today also requires the company to improve its spill and alarm monitoring.
Leaking underground tanks can be a significant source of pollution, contaminating groundwater supplies.
--Bettina Boxall
Photo: A Shell station in Northern California. Credit: Los Angeles Times / Bob Chamberlin
