SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY – San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced that his office, in cooperation with the District Attorneys’ Offices of Orange, Alameda, Riverside, San Diego, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, has settled a civil lawsuit against Penske Truck Leasing Co, L.P. (“Penske”).
Penske, a global truck leasing and fleet maintenance company, was alleged to have violated California laws related to underground storage tanks, above ground storage tanks, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials at facilities it operates throughout the state, including five in San Bernardino County. Penske will pay $7,660,000, including $6,573,750 in penalties, $488,250 in investigative cost reimbursement, and $598,000 in supplemental environmental projects. In addition, Penske is required to maintain changes to its protocols and facilities, including hiring an environmental compliance manager to ensure adherence with California law relating to underground storage tanks, hazardous waste, hazardous materials, and above ground storage tanks.
As part of the settlement, Penske has committed to remove or replace aging double-walled underground storage tank systems with upgraded systems with enhanced secondary containment monitoring at 12 locations in California.
District Attorney Jason Anderson emphasized the importance of environmental compliance in protecting the community, stating, “We appreciate Penske’s cooperation throughout this investigation and settlement process. Ensuring adherence to environmental regulations is essential to safeguarding public safety, and this resolution reflects our commitment to holding companies accountable while supporting responsible operational practices across the state.”
Penske Truck Leasing is a leading North American transportation services company that provides trucks through commercial leasing and consumer truck rentals. In California, they provide service and fueling for leased vehicles and operate a large fleet across 52 locations, performing their own maintenance and fueling operations.
The settlement was entered in conjunction with 21 District Attorneys’ offices and the City Attorney of Los Angeles. Penske’s corporate office and environmental compliance group were cooperative with prosecutors throughout the investigation and settlement process. This Stipulated Final Judgment shall remain in place for a minimum of five years.
This investigation began when the San Bernardino County Certified Unified Program Agency (“CUPA”) referred the case to the prosecution team after Penske failed to correct cited underground storage tank violations at several locations, including an instance of sensor tampering in 2022. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office will receive $1,349,500.00 in penalties and cost reimbursement, and the San Bernardino County Fire Hazardous Materials Division will receive $450,000.00 in penalties and cost reimbursement under the settlement.
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