BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Bloomington-based Holiday Stationstores and parent company Circle K will pay a $200,000 fine and spend millions to upgrade equipment after being found guilty of violations by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
A news release from the agency says the fine was levied after an enforcement investigation found that Holiday-Circle K failed to properly test, report, and fix or replace corrosion protection equipment at five locations between 2019 and 2022. Those locations are in Northfield, Owatonna, Pine City, Rochester and Walker.
The equipment, known in the industry as cathodic protection, is designed to protect older underground storage tank systems from corroding and leaking gas into soil and groundwater. Operating permits granted by the state require companies to test the equipment at least annually, report failed tests to the MPCA within 30 days and fix or replace equipment within 60 days of failed tests.
MPCA enforcement officials say inspections in 2022 confirmed that each of the five locations documented between one and six failed tests that were not reported to the state, and that malfunctioning equipment was not repaired.
State inspectors say the faulty storage tank systems at all five locations have since been repaired or replaced.
Along with the civil fine, MPCA says Holiday-Circle K has agreed to fund $3.5 million to upgrade underground tank systems in Beaver Bay, Crosby, Duluth, Forest Lake and Ortonville by the end of 2024. The agency selected those locations based on the age of their tank systems and proximity to nearby bodies of water.
MPCA says its regulations are designed to protect both human health and the environment by limiting pollution and discharges from facilities like gas stations. When companies do not comply, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.
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