SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against the owner of a Lake County gas station over a gasoline leak that caused soil and groundwater contamination and vapors to enter nearby residents’ homes.
Madigan’s filed the complaint in Lake County Circuit Court against Shri Balaji Inc., the owner and operator of a Mobil gas station in Barrington.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) referred the case to Madigan’s office after an inspector responding to complaints of a gasoline-like odor found evidence of a gasoline leak.
The complaint alleges that an underground storage tank (UST) at the station had been leaking unknown quantities of gasoline since at least Jan. 25. The leak was discovered after residents complained of gasoline odors in their homes. The complaint alleges leaking gasoline flowed into the soil and groundwater and entered the adjacent sanitary sewer system.
In filing the complaint, the court also granted Madigan’s request for a preliminary injunction that will address environmental concerns while the litigation continues.
The court’s order requires the defendant to determine the cause of the leak and to evaluate the extent of the contamination in the soil and groundwater. The defendant must conduct regular sampling and monitoring and report the results to the Illinois EPA and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
“This action will ensure that the gasoline contamination is investigated and remediated because our first concern is the health and well-being of the community,” said Madigan.
The Illinois EPA referred the case to Madigan’s office after an inspector responding to complaints of a gasoline-like odor found evidence of a gasoline leak.
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