Michigan court upholds $869K fine against BP North America over gas tank cleanup paperwork
By APMonday, October 12, 2009
Mich. court upholds penalty against BP N. America
LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan judge says the state Department of Environmental Quality acted properly in collecting $869,150 in penalties from BP Products North America Inc.
The DEQ announced the fine in June 2007, saying BP failed to submit required reports related to cleanup of gasoline contamination from underground storage tanks at eight of its former gasoline stations in Michigan.
The DEQ said in a Monday statement that Ingham County Circuit Judge James R. Giddings ruled the agency’s actions were justified.
Two of the leaking underground storage tanks are in Kalamazoo, with one each in East Grand Rapids, East Lansing, Okemos, Rockford, Roseville and St. Johns.
BP spokesman Scott Dean says Giddings’ ruling will have no effect on the company’s ongoing cleanup work in Michigan.
On the Net:
Department of Environmental Quality, www.michigan.gov/deq
BP PLC: www.bp.com
