Easton company fined $21K over failure to report fuel spill

PROVIDENCE – The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection has fined a Bristol County, Mass., trucking company $21,000 for failing to report a diesel fuel spill to authorities.

Land Air Express of New England was fined for the spill at the company’s facility at 600 Turnpike St. in Easton, the department announced Thursday.

The spill occurred last February due to an “overfill” while fueling of one of the company’s trucks. The department received an anonymous complaint about the spill two days later. The Easton Fire Department investigated and found evidence of a recent spill of more than 10 gallons. Law requires such spills to be reported within two hours.

Under a consent order signed by the company, it will pay $10,000 and the remaining $11,000 will be suspended if the company has no other violations in the next year.

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“Any fueling station has to be diligent and cognizant of the situations that trigger a clear need to notify MassDEP following releases of oil or hazardous materials,” said Millie Garcia-Serrano, director of the department’s Southeast Regional Office in Lakeville, Mass.

“Immediate response actions were initiated by the company, but unilateral actions without proper prior notification can result in a violation that MassDEP takes seriously,” she said.

The department inspected the Easton facility and confirmed a fresh diesel fuel spill had occurred, staining a 450-square-foot area of a concrete pad, a containment channel and nearby asphalt pavement.

A barrel and separate drum were found at the facility with oil-soaked absorbents and debris, the department said.

Land Air Express hired an environmental company and licensed site professional to oversee the cleanup, which was completed in April.

Scott Blake is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Blake@PBN.com.