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EPA SETTLES ACTION AGAINST PIONEER INTERSTATE AND DONG SAN, INC, FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK REGULATIONS

Release Date: 06/18/1999
Contact Information: Steven D. Burton, UST Program, 404-562-9466 or Dawn Harris, EPA Press and Media Relations, 404-562-8421

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today the settlement of an administrative enforcement action against Pioneer Interstate, Inc. and Dong San, Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee for alleged violations of the Underground Storage Tank (UST) provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

John H. Hankinson, Jr., EPA Regional Administrator in Atlanta, said, “The Environmental Protection Agency is committed to an enforcement program that will protect human health and the environment. Aggressive enforcement is essential to effective EPA programs and a clean environment.”

The Administrative Complaint alleged a range of violations including failure to comply with tank and piping release detection requirements and failure to notify and register a hazardous substance tank.

Under the terms of the Consent Agreement and Consent Order, Pioneer Interstate, Inc. and Dong San, Inc. have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $65,000 to the United States Treasury.

EPA developed the UST regulations to prevent leaks and spills, correct problems caused by them, and to ensure that owners and operators of hazardous substance USTs can pay for correcting any problems created if their USTs leak. Leaking hazardous substance USTs can result in serious consequences; such as fires and explosions, contamination of drinking water and damage to lakes and streams.