30 Jan 2006

United States environmental agency promises big fines for faulty gas station pipe monitoring

8:36 pm on 30 January 2006

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a service station in American Samoa to correct problems with its underground storage tanks or face daily fines of thousands of dollars.

The EPA claims that the service station has not been monitoring for leaks in its pipes as it should.

The EPA's Jeff Scott says tank owners are expected to properly maintain their tanks to prevent them from leaking.

He says the agency's action will ensure American Samoa's fresh water supply is not damaged by negligence.

The EPA says it has inspected the service station's tanks several times and given it numerous opportunities to comply with the regulations but it has failed to do so.