Pennsylvania DEP Fines Leighow Oil Co. Inc. More Than $63,000 for Violations at Two Facilities in Montour County. Spills caused environmental degradation to a wetland and two creeks and could have been prevented if Leighow had properly maintained and monitored its facilities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
01/5/2015
CONTACT:
Daniel Spadoni, DEP North-Central Regional Office
570-327-3636
PADEP Fines Leighow Oil Co. Inc. More Than $63,000 for Violations at Two Facilities in Montour County
The
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced it has
fined Leighow Oil Co. Inc. of Danville $63,351 for Clean Streams Law and
storage tank violations that were first discovered in December 2013 at
two of its facilities in Mahoning and Valley townships.
“These
spills caused environmental degradation to a wetland and two creeks and
could have been prevented if Leighow had properly maintained and
monitored its facilities,” DEP North-central Regional Director Marcus
Kohl said. “The department has seen improvement recently and expects
that Leighow will do a much better job of operation and maintenance in
the future to prevent any similar problems.”
The
first spill at Leighow’s Food Shop 1 facility was discovered by the
department’s Emergency Response program in early December 2013 following
receipt of a citizen complaint about oil in Mauses Creek near the
McDonald’s Restaurant in Valley Township.
The
department’s investigation determined that gasoline and diesel fuel
tanks had apparently been overfilled numerous times in September and
November, and that a cap was not properly secured to one of the tank’s
riser pipes.
A
notice of violation was sent by DEP to the company on Dec. 9 notifying
Leighow to immediately implement remedial actions to abate the discharge
of diesel fuel and weathered petroleum product into Mauses Creek and
its unnamed tributary.
Remedial
actions taken by Leighow’s contractor included the installation of
groundwater monitoring and recovery wells, geoprobe soil borings, and
operation of a surface water oil skimmer and a groundwater treatment
system.
In
addition, the contractor removed 48,417 gallons of water and fuel oil
from Mauses Creek and its tributary over a three month period using a
vacuum truck.
The
second spill was discovered on Dec. 22, 2013 following notification
from the Montour County Emergency Management Agency concerning a release
of heating oil from an above ground storage tank at Leighow’s storage
facility in Mahoning Township.
The
department’s investigation found that an overfill device on the tank
malfunctioned during a night-time delivery, and a drain plug had been
left open in the emergency containment structure surrounding the tank.
This caused an undetermined amount of heating oil to flow through an
oil/water separator and into a stormwater drainage ditch, a wetland and
Mahoning Creek.
Department
inspections documented a visible petroleum sheen on a spring/seep
located down gradient of the containment structure, and a notice of
violation was sent to the company on Jan. 9, 2014.
Leighow’s
environmental contractor excavated contaminated soil and debris, and
placed petroleum absorbent booms and pads at the oil/water separator and
the drainage ditch.
Leighow
has since corrected all of the violations cited at the Food Shop 1
facility. The company has voluntarily taken the above ground storage
tank facility out of service since the incident because of additional
upgrade requirements.
For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us or call 570-327-3636.