Penske To Pay $7.6M To Settle Environmental Violations Lawsuit: DA

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — Penske Trucking Leasing has agreed to pay $7,660,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of violating environmental law, Alameda County prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say an investigation into Penske, a transportation services company, began in San Bernardino County after the company didn't correct violations at several underground storage tank locations, including tampering with a sensor in 2022.

Investigators later found Penske facilities in other counties also violated California law related to underground storage tanks, aboveground storage tanks, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials, according to authorities.

Twenty-one District Attorney's offices, including Alameda County's, and the City Attorney of Los Angeles banded together to file a lawsuit against Penske.

Penske did not respond to a request for comment from Patch.

The Riverside County District Attorney's Office, which was also part of the lawsuit, said the company's corporate office and compliance group were "extremely cooperative with the prosecutors throughout the investigation and settlement process."

Prosecutors said $6,573,750 of the settlement is penalties, $488,250 in investigative cost reimbursement and $598,000 in supplemental environmental projects.

In addition to the financial settlement, Penske needs to remove or replace aging double-walled underground storage tanks with upgraded systems and increase safety monitoring at 12 of its California facilities, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

They must also hire an environmental compliance manager to ensure adherence to California law, prosecutors said.

"Protecting our environment and holding companies accountable are essential to safeguarding the health and safety of our communities," Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said in a statement on Thursday.