California Attorney General Rob Bonta and five district attorneys announced Friday an $8 million settlement with Safeway over alleged environmental violations at 71 gas stations across the state, including Tri-Valley.

The settlement, which includes the district attorneys and attorney generals of Contra Costa, Solano, San Joaquin, Sacramento, and Placer counties, requires grocery chains to implement, and prevent various preventive and other safety measures. It was done after an investigation revealed that it had failed. About underground fuel storage tanks from 2015.

Violations include failure to install and maintain automatic leak detectors, and secondary containment systems, failure to monitor and perform required tests for underground storage tanks, and failure to properly notify local authorities after release of hazardous materials. Safeway’s, gas stations include one in Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and San Ramon. As part of the settlement, Safeway will pay a civil penalty of $7.5 million, including $600,000 in funding for environmental projects and $500,000 in investigative costs.“California has strict regulations to prevent oil and gas from seeping into the ground and contaminating our drinking water,” Ponta said. “The reality is that accidents happen. A preventable crisis can turn into an environmental disaster without proper safety measures in place,” said Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Pickton. Her office is committed to “prevent environmental risks like fuel spills and hold companies accountable to laws governing things like fuel tanks.”, Safeway officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the deal.

Original article: https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/2022/09/18/safeway-to-pay-8m-in-settlement-over-underground-fuel-storage-tank-violations