Virginia Company Assessed $8,000 Penalty for Waste Site Cleanup Violations at Millbury Facility

Estes Express Lines, a Virginia-based transportation company with a facility in Millbury, has been assessed $8,000 in penalties by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for failing to notify the agency of a sudden release of 50 gallons of diesel fuel at its 10 Latti Farm Road facility. 

On January 7, 2007, an Estes employee noticed diesel fuel leaking from the saddle tank on a tractor-trailer parked in the rear of its facility. The employee alerted the facility manager, who in turn notified the corporate office in Richmond, Virginia. MassDEP did not receive notification of the release until late the following morning. At the time of MassDEP's inspection, Estes had not performed response actions as a result of the release. The released diesel fuel had impacted the pavement, a storm drain, and had flowed into several water bodies.

In a recently finalized consent order, Estes has agreed to pay an $8,000 penalty to the Commonwealth and provide training to its drivers and dispatchers on the importance of immediate release notification. The company will also install spill response kits in its vehicles driving in or through Massachusetts and at its Massachusetts facilities.

"Unfortunately, communication breakdowns can occur within organizations, and that is often the cause for failures to notify," said Martin Suuberg, director of DEP's Central Regional Office located in Worcester. "MassDEP fully supports training for staff within an organization to minimize the possibility of missing a notification deadline."

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