The owners/operators of the five gas stations are: George's Store LLC, Aurora. Uyoata Udo, Kansas City. Bal Sharma and Ghassan Darwish, Kansas City. Owen Richelieu, Alexandria and St. Charles. Hagos Kiros and Energy Power LLC, St. Louis.
Missouri law requires owners and operators of petroleum USTs to have a financial [image-nocss] responsibility mechanism in place--most often insurance--to ensure that owners and operators clean up any contamination from underground storage tanks and pay for any damage caused to the public.
Each of the five gas stations are operating without the required insurance, the AG's office said, putting the environment and the public at risk. Koster is asking the courts to order the defendants to shut down until they comply with the Missouri UST Law and to pay a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day for each violation of the law.
"Underground storage tanks that are not in compliance with the law can pose a serious health threat to Missourians," Koster said.
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