The former owner of a Wisconsin gas station has been ordered to pay $7,560 in fees and forfeitures, as well as provide environmental restoration of the property, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced on Monday.
The legal judgment against William Davis, which includes repaying court costs, fees, surcharges and attorney fees, was related to allegations that he violated Wisconsin's spill laws by not rectifying petroleum contamination issues at his Grant County gas station
In October 2000, four underground petroleum tanks were taken from Davis' property. Subsequent soil samples of the site uncovered petroleum contamination, and in 2001 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources told Davis that he was responsible for restoring the property's environment to its original condition. The DNR tried to get Davis to restore the site multiple times without success before the case was given to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
The spill laws in Wisconsin require property owners to control hazardous material and take care of the environment to minimize any harmful effects.
As part of the judgment, Davis is responsible for paying for a site investigation to determine the extent of the contamination, remove and properly dispose of contaimnated soil, and monitor the soil and groundwater for further contamination.