California to pay $2 million to Sacramento, Alameda counties to settle environmental suit
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A California state agency is paying $2.26 million to Sacramento and Alameda counties to settle a lawsuit that alleges underground leaking storage tanks.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price filed a lawsuit against Department of General Services Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court.
The district attorneys filed the lawsuit “to protect public health and the environment from harm due to releases of hazardous substances from leaking Underground Storage Tanks, including harm to groundwater and surface waters and against harm from indoor air impacts,” the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit alleges faulty equipment and leaking tanks under several downtown state buildings — the state Capitol, Legislative Office Building, and General Services headquarters building — as well as under a state building in downtown Oakland.
General Services will pay over $1.1 million to Sacramento County and over $768,000 to Alameda County for violations of state law regarding underground storage of hazardous substances.
The settlement also requires the General Services to make several changes, including having a tank operator doing more regular inspections, and providing more regular reports, as required by state law.
“(Department of General Services) is in the process of finalizing a plan to ensure future sustained compliance with environmental regulations regarding underground storage tanks,” Department of General Services spokeswoman Monica Hassan said in a statement.
General Services has until February to pay the counties.
