EPA fines Joplin truck stop for alleged Clean Water Act violations

LENEXA, KAN. (JAN. 2, 2025) – Two truck stops, one in Joplin, has been fined by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Truckstop Distributors doing business as “Joplin 44,” located at 4240 South Highway 43 in Joplin and the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott Iowa (the latter advertised as “the world’s largest truck stop”)  agreed to pay a combined $390,784 to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the facilities failed to comply with regulations intended to protect water bodies from petroleum discharges.

“This settlement represents the federal government’s commitment to protecting our nation’s waterways and creating a level playing field for businesses who are complying with the law,” said EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director David Cozad.

EPA discovered the alleged violations during inspections of the truck stops in 2023.

According to the Agency, the truck stops, which are owned by Iowa 80 Group Inc., failed to adequately develop and implement Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans, as required by the Clean Water Act.

Facilities that store 1,320 gallons or greater of oil products in aboveground storage tanks are subject to SPCC regulations. Such plans require, among other things, proper containment to control petroleum releases, inspections of tanks and piping, and integrity testing of petroleum storage equipment.

In response to EPA’s findings, the facilities revised their SPCC plans, conducted internal and external tank inspections, and completed the necessary repairs.

The settlements are detailed in Consent Agreements and Final Orders that will be subject to a 30-day public comment period.

The Consent Agreements are available online for public review and comment: Iowa 80 and Joplin 44.