$1.35 million settlement agreed after San Francisco UST fuel leaks

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has agreed a $1.35 million settlement for violating underground fuel storage tank (UST) regulations and allowing leaks in four San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) tanks.

Water Resources Control Board announced that SFMTA will have to pay an immediate $425,000 for the settlement, and put in place a strict leak-prevention programme or face an additional fine of $375,000. They will also have to maintain the prevention standards for a four year period or be sanctioned with another $450,000, reported SF Gate.

Violations of UST regulations include failing to monitor the tanks and systems, a lack of spill-containment devices and failing to carry out monthly checks. The tanks held biodiesel, gasoline, motor oil and diesel.

"We hope that this settlement marks a turning point for the SFMTA to prioritize environmental compliance,” said David Boyers, assistant chief counsel of the Water Board's office of enforcement.

“This is a fair and reasonable resolution that allows us to ensure that proper steps are followed going forward,” he explained about the settlement.

This is not the first time San Francisco´s MTA has been sanctioned by a state organization for tank leaks. In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency hit SFMTA with a $250,000 civil penalty for an oil spill that leaked 39,000 gallons of diesel fuel into San Francisco Bay.

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently enforced stricter regulations for UST´s in an effort to prevent groundwater contamination as 6,000 releases are detected each year. New measures include secondary containment for tanks, strengthening operator training and updates of current technology and codes of practices.