Owners of "Fast and Easy" gas stations to pay $1.1 million in environmental protection lawsuit
A group that owns "Fast and Easy" gas stations, some of which are in Yolo and San Joaquin counties, will have to pay over $1 million in penalties and investigative costs stemming from an environmental protection action.
According to the Yolo County District Attorney's office, on July 20, a Yolo County Superior Court judge approved a settlement ordering Aasim Corporation, Aasim Enterprises, Inc., Ashraf Ali, Yasmin Ali, Samir Ali, Shafique Bhimani, and Mohammed Bilal to pay a combined $1.1 million in civil penalties and investigative costs.
The D.A.'s office says the judgment settles allegations that the defendants didn't follow state laws and regulations governing the operation of retail gas stations at their locations in Yolo, Napa, Alameda, Lake, and San Joaquin counties.
In Yolo County, the defendants own and operate one Chevron station at 1601 Research Park Drive in Davis and at 999 East Grant Avenue in Winters.
County prosecutors alleged that the defendants failed to comply with laws regulating hazardous wastes and hazardous materials at the gas stations. They also allegedly failed to "adequately install, monitor, operate, and calibrate important equipment" on-site designed to quickly detect petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks (USTs) to groundwater and surface water.
The settlement includes a permanent statewide injunction prohibiting defendants from violating UST and hazardous waste laws and regulations and requires them to work with an experienced, independent environmental consultant to assist with future compliance at all stations covered by the judgment, the D.A.'s office says. The defendants are also required to pay $900,000 in civil penalties and $200,000 in partial investigative and enforcement costs.
"We would like to thank everyone within the Yolo County Environmental Health Division; Napa County Environmental Health Division; City of San Leandro Environmental Services; Hayward Fire Department; Lake County Division of Environmental Health; and the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department for their investigative efforts and assistance with this case," said Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig.