Attorney General's News Release

October 7, 2011

Attorney General Koster sues Taney County couple for underground storage tank violations

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster today filed suit against Carthel and Sandra English, of Walnut Shade, Missouri, for violations of the state’s Underground Storage Tank (UST) law.

Koster said the defendants have failed to remove three steel underground storage tanks located at their now-defunct gas station, the Walnut Shade In and Out. He said Missouri law requires the permanent closure of a steel UST system if that system has not been maintained for more than a year. The USTs located at the English’s old gas station have been inoperable and not maintained since at least August 2007.

Koster said he filed the lawsuit after the Englishes failed to respond to correspondence from his office requesting that they close the tanks. He is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from any further violations of the Missouri UST law, to pay a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day for each violation of the law, and to pay court costs.

“Underground storage tanks that are not in compliance with the law can pose a serious health threat to Missourians,” Koster said. “This legal action is necessary because the defendant failed to voluntarily comply with the law even though given ample opportunity to do so.”