A San Diego County-based petroleum transportation company, its owner, and two employees are facing criminal charges for allegedly gathering fuel at scrapyards then selling it to gas stations, the California Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.
Prosecutors allege Lamb Fuels‘ truck drivers were told to collect, treat, and deliver waste fuel, which the AG’s office said “consisted of contaminated fuel drained from wrecked and abandoned vehicles” and “contains contaminants that may harm vehicles and the environment.”
The alleged practice occurred from 2012 to 2021 in multiple counties across the state, according to a criminal complaint that lists more than three dozen felony counts, including conspiracy, treatment of hazardous waste at an unauthorized facility, and transportation of hazardous waste to an unauthorized facility.
“California is a beautiful state to live in and we want to keep it that way,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
“Environmental crimes hurt affected communities, and this is why we have strong regulations in place to protect the environmental integrity of our great state and its residents. It is imperative we hold violators accountable for hazardous environmental crimes and the damage they cause.”