A St. Croix auto dealer has been fined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency more than $30,000 for mishandling used motor oil.
Tropical Cars of St. Croix, also known as Tropical Nissan, in La Grande Princesse was fined $30,800 and ordered to clean up a 600-square-foot pond of used oil two inches deep, said Jeanne Fox, EPA’s regional administrator.
"The conditions we observed at this facility were alarming," Fox said. "Used oil contains toxic chemicals, including the known human carcinogens benzene and arsenic."
Fox said EPA inspectors visited Tropical Nissan on June 10, 1999, and saw 47, 55-gallon drums of used oil, some of which are believed to have leaked. After the inspection, EPA ordered the owner, Dylon Smith, to collect the spilled oil and visibly contaminated soil and place them in drums, which remain at the facility.
Fox said her agency has ordered the company to sample the oil and affected soil it collected to determine whether the materials are hazardous wastes. The company must also test the layer of soil that had been under the visibly contaminated soil to determine where it too is contaminated, Fox said.
If the underlying soil is found to be tainted, the company must excavate it, test the soil below, and repeat the process until clean soil is reached. All of the excavated soils must be tested and disposed of properly as well. The company must provide proof to the EPA when the work is complete, including photos, lab analyses and documentation of proper disposal.
Tropical Nissan has the right to contest EPA’s order, but has already begun some of the work required.