JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has announced that he has filed for a preliminary injunction to require retailer Zill LLC to either implement its emergency response plan following an underground petroleum release from Zill’s Kansas City gas station or cease operation.
Zill owns and operates Inner City Oil Co. Inc.
Koster sued Zill on August 12 after the company failed to implement a work plan it filed February 20 to address petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks (USTs) at Inner City Oil. Zill has still not completed the approved corrective action, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) detected additional gasoline fumes over the weekend.
Because Zill has refused to follow provisions in the approved work plan, MDNR has had to take steps on its own to protect affected residents, including air testing and replacing sewer lines that were allowing vapor fumes to enter several of the houses in the neighborhood.
Koster is asking the court to order Zill to complete cleaning up the contamination, provide alternative housing where needed and take any additional actions needed to protect residents in the area. If Zill fails to complete the cleanup, Koster is asking the court to order Zill to empty the petroleum tanks and stop gasoline service at the location. The suit also seeks to recover costs incurred by the state.
“Zill has willfully ignored its responsibility to clean up the mess it made in this Kansas City neighborhood,” Koster said. “The company should either fulfill its obligation or close its gas operations.”
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