Union City Gas Station Owner Settles Environmental Contamination Lawsuit

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced a court-approved settlement with Martin Service Center Corporation (MSCC) and its owners over longstanding gasoline contamination at a commercial site in Union City.

The DEP alleged that MSCC failed to comply with multiple orders issued in 2020 and 2022 requiring the removal of three underground storage tanks (USTs) and remediation of soil and groundwater contamination at 417 12th Street. The site had been affected by a gasoline discharge that persisted for over two decades.

Under the settlement, MSCC and its owners agreed to remove the USTs, complete the required environmental cleanup, and pay $125,000 in civil penalties. The lawsuit was filed under the Underground Storage of Hazardous Substances Act, the Spill Compensation and Control Act, and the Site Remediation Reform Act.

“The DEP remains committed to ensuring that those who have created an environmental injustice in overburdened neighborhoods are held accountable,” said DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “Low-income and minority communities have long borne the brunt of these injustices.”

The case was handled by the Environmental Enforcement and Environmental Justice Section within the Division of Law’s Environment and Clean Energy Practice Group, with support from DEP staff.