RIVERSIDE, CA — Penske Truck Leasing Co., a commercial truck leasing, fleet maintenance and transportation agency, will pay $7.66 million in total to settle a civil lawsuit alleging environmental law violations at facilities across California, Riverside County District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin announced Thursday.
The total settlement includes $6,573,750 in penalties, $488,250 in investigative cost reimbursements, and $598,000 for supplemental environmental projects. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office will receive $480,000 in civil penalties and $20,000 in cost reimbursements, as four of Penske's California facilities are in Riverside County.
According to the settlement, Penske must also change its protocols and facilities, including hiring an environmental compliance manager to ensure the company adheres to California laws related to the violations, the news release from DA Mike Hestrin's office stated.
Under the settlement, Penske committed to replacing aging double-walled underground storage tank systems with upgraded systems and enhanced secondary-containment monitoring, or removing the old systems entirely, at 12 California locations.
The investigation began in San Bernardino County after Penske allegedly failed to correct cited violations at several underground storage tank locations, including an alleged instance of sensor tampering in 2022, according to the release.
The settlement was entered in conjunction with 21 district attorneys' offices and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.
Penske's corporate office and environmental compliance group were extremely cooperative with prosecutors throughout the investigation and settlement process, a spokesperson for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office said. The stipulated final judgment will remain in place for at least five years.
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