Penske Truck Leasing Co. has agreed to pay $7.66 million to resolve allegations of violations of California environmental and hazardous materials laws at facilities throughout the state, officials announced Monday in Los Angeles.
Penske, a global truck leasing and fleet maintenance company, was alleged to have violated California laws related to underground storage tanks, aboveground storage tanks, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials at facilities it operates throughout the state, according to Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
Penske will pay $7.66 million, including $6.57 million in penalties, $488,250 in investigative costs reimbursement, and $598,000 in supplemental environmental projects, the settlement states.
In addition, Penske is required to maintain changes to its protocols and facilities, including hiring an environmental compliance manager to ensure adherence with California law.
As part of the settlement, Penske has committed to remove or replace aging double-walled underground storage tank systems with upgraded systems featuring enhanced secondary containment monitoring at a dozen locations in California.
“California’s environmental protection laws are designed to protect our communities, our workers, our first responders and our environment,” Feldstein Soto said. “Companies that handle hazardous materials and hazardous waste have a responsibility to comply with these critical safeguards, and we will continue working with our partners throughout California to hold businesses accountable when they fail to do so.”
Penske Truck Leasing is a leading North American transportation services company that provides trucks through commercial leasing and consumer truck rentals. In California, the company provides service and fueling for leased vehicles and operates a large fleet across 52 locations, performing its own maintenance and fueling operations.
The settlement was entered in conjunction with 21 district attorneys’ offices and Feldstein Soto’s office.
Penske’s corporate office and environmental compliance group were cooperative with prosecutors throughout the investigation and settlement process, Feldstein Soto said.
The stipulated final judgment will remain in place for a minimum of five years.