Source: http://host.madison.com, December 2, 2014
By: Bill Novak
An old contaminated gas station site in Grant County must be cleaned and made environmentally safe, according to a judgment made against the owner in a case dating back to 2000.

The Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office said on Monday that Illinois resident William Davis, owner of the property, must clean up the site and pay $7,560 in forfeitures, court costs and other fees, after a Grant County judge issued the judgment against Davis.

In October of 2000, four underground petroleum storage tanks were removed from the site. Soil samples taken at that time showed significant soil contamination.

The Department of Natural Resources told Davis in January of 2001 that he was responsible for cleanup and restoration, but the work hadn’t been done.

The DNR turned the matter over to the Department of Justice, according to a news release.

“Wisconsin’s spills law requires that persons who possess or control hazardous substances discharged to the environment take responsibility for the discharge, and take actions necessary to restore the environment to the extent practicable, and to minimize the harmful effects from the discharge to the air, lands or waters of the state,” the release said.

Davis will be required to do a complete site investigation to see how big the contamination area is, removing the soil, and do soil and groundwater monitoring.