New Jersey AG Sued an Auto Company for Endangering Nearby Environment

OCTOBER 8, 2021

In October 2021, then-Acting New Jersey Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck, along with the Department of Environmental Protection, filed a lawsuit against Baja Auto Services, Inc. for failing to comply with safety requirements related to its underground gasoline storage tank system. The lawsuit sought an order requiring the company to “properly close and remove the tanks from the property [and] investigate and remediate all discharges of hazardous substances at and from the site and pay outstanding remediation fees, DEP costs, and civil penalties.” The AG’s Office and DEP also sought a preliminary injunction “ordering defendants to immediately empty the tanks.” This action was part of a tranche of lawsuits taken as part of the New Jersey AG Office’s environmental justice initiative.

In April 2023, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and DEP announced a settlement with Baja Auto Services, under which the company emptied and removed the storage tanks and paid a $50,000 penalty.