Koster
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed suit on Friday against a Gentry County business for alleged violations of Missouri's Underground Storage Tank Law.
Avenue C-Stores, which owns and operates US Oil, a gas station located in King City, allegedly operated without underground storage tank financial responsibility during 2009 and 2010. Missouri law requires that owners and operators of petroleum USTs must have a financial responsibility mechanism in place - most often UST insurance - to ensure that financial resources are available to pay for any contamination by petroleum products from underground storage tanks.
Koster said he filed the lawsuit after Avenue C-Stores failed to respond to requests for documents from his office. He is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering the defendant to comply with Missouri UST Law, to pay all costs and fees associated with the lawsuit and to pay a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day for each violation of the law.
"Underground storage tanks that are not in compliance with the law can pose a serious health threat to Missourians," Koster said. "This legal action is necessary because the defendant failed to voluntarily comply with the law even though given the opportunity to do so."