Two truck stops in Iowa and Missouri, Iowa 80 and Joplin 44, have agreed to pay a total of $390,784 following allegations of violating the federal Clean Water Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that these facilities did not adhere to regulations designed to prevent petroleum discharges into water bodies.
"This settlement represents the federal government’s commitment to protecting our nation’s waterways and creating a level playing field for businesses who are complying with the law," said David Cozad, Director of the EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division.
The alleged violations were discovered by the EPA during inspections conducted in 2023. The truck stops, owned by Iowa 80 Group Inc., reportedly failed to properly develop and implement Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans as mandated by the Clean Water Act.
Under SPCC regulations, facilities storing over 1,320 gallons of oil products in aboveground tanks must have plans that include measures for containment of petroleum releases, regular inspections of tanks and piping, and integrity testing of storage equipment.
In response to these findings from the EPA, both truck stops revised their SPCC plans. They also performed internal and external tank inspections and completed necessary repairs.
Details of the settlements are included in Consent Agreements and Final Orders. These documents will undergo a 30-day public comment period before finalization. The agreements are available online for public review under Iowa 80 and Joplin 44.
