Walla Walla gas station owner settles penalty for 2023 gasoline leak

The Washington Department of Ecology and the owner of the downtown Walla Walla Chevron have reached an agreement to ensure the cleanup of contaminated groundwater from a 2023 gasoline leak moves forward expeditiously.

The agreement settles a $738,000 penalty and $4.1 million cost recovery order for a 2023 gasoline leak from the downtown Chevron station. A 40-year-old underground storage tank leaked nearly 2,500 gallons of fuel into groundwater and led to an emergency evacuation for parts of the city's downtown business district.

Wine and Country Store LLC (formerly referred to as Stillwater Holdings LLC), the owner of the gas station, and Ecology agreed to a settlement to avoid additional environmental risk, delays and the cost of further litigation.

"This agreement paves the way to remove all of the old fuel tanks at the site," said Brook Beeler, Ecology's Eastern Region director. "This is the best path to protecting the environment, protecting people, and supporting the local economy."

Ecology has funding for the cleanup and is prepared to move quickly on the remediation.

In the settlement, the owner agreed to pay $275,000 within 30 days, comply with contaminated site cleanup enforcement order and withdraw the penalty appeal from the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board.

The agreement also expands environmental protections through increased oversight and reporting requirements for the Chevron's two remaining operational underground storage tanks.

The settlement includes agreement that Ecology's time spent overseeing and completing the final cleanup will be reflected in a lien on the property, allowing Ecology the tools to recover taxpayer funds used on the cleanup.

The full penalty and cost recovery amount will be held in suspension to ensure Wine and Country Store LLC complies with the terms of the agreement. If the owner does not fulfill the requirements of the settlement, the remaining amount of the penalty and cost reimbursement order will be due.