Judgment protects public from petroleum leaks

The United States has entered into a settlement with 30 year old Rachelann Yetim of Floral Park, and five corporate entities that she owned and used to operate gas stations that had underground storage tanks (UST), including the Petro Convenience Store located at 4305 Austin Boulevard, in Island Park.

The tanks hold large amounts of gasoline and can cause environmental harm if they leak.

In 2014 the U.S. filed a federal civil environmental complaint against Yetim and her father, 52-year-old Nedjet Yetim of Patchogue, and their related corporations for widespread violations of the leak prevention requirements for UST’s. According to the complaint it is alleged the defendants failed to: monitor for leaks, provide for adequate protection against corrosion and overflows, adequately secure tanks when the facilities were temporarily closed, maintain records of release detection monitoring, and provide necessary information to Environmental Protection Agency about the tank systems.

According to evidence in the public record the New York State Department of Conservation demonstrated there were releases from the tanks at four facilities, each of which is located above a federally designated sole source aquifer. A sole source aquifer is an aquifer that supplies 50 percent of the drinking water consumed within the aquifer’s boundaries.

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Robert Capers, and Judith Enck, Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced the settlement.

Since the filing of the federal complaint, one of the gas stations has been permanently closed. Rachelann Yetim sought to bring the remaining three stations into compliance and cooperated with the EPA. Defendant Nedjet Yetim has not settled with the government and is the subject of a pending motion for summary judgment filed by the United States.

“The Consent Judgment entered by the Court is the product of a long-standing effort by the EPA and by this Office to ensure that the residents of Long Island would not be harmed by defendants’ disregard of their obligations under federal law to safeguard the public from gasoline and waste oil leaks at their underground storage tanks,” said Capers. “We are committed to vigorous enforcement of the laws protecting the environment from hazardous wastes.”

The other gas stations listed in the suit are located at: 653 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont; 725 Wyandanch Avenue in North Babylon and 1278 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont, which is now closed.