There's no money to be made by avoiding environmental regulations, as one premier resort in Guam found out. EPA, working with Guam Environmental Protection Agency staff, cited a Guam resort and imposed a $1,650 penalty for recent violations of federal UST regulations.

EPA fined the resort for failing to have adequate release detection on its underground fuel tanks and piping, for not having overfill prevention equipment installed on its tanks, and for failing to have adequate pollution insurance.

A December 1998 federal deadline required regulated USTs to have spill and overfill equipment, corrosion protection, and release detection methods to prevent releases.

EPA frequently conducts unannounced tank inspections. Owners and operators who are cited are required to correct the violations, submit documentation, and pay the settlement amount within 30 days. Failure to comply subjects them to penalties of up to $11,000 per violation per tank per day in addition to the added cleanup costs for leaking tanks.

INFO: Contact Dean Higuchi at (808) 541-2711. 8292/sp