Second investigation launched into gas leak in Gunnison

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Sam Penrod reporting The attorney general's office is now involved in the search for answers to last summer's underground gasoline leak in Gunnison.

This is now the second investigation that has been launched into the leak at a Top Stop gas station.

The first one ended as soon as it began because there were questions if state law had any oversight of the leak. Now investigators will take a second look.

The attorney general's office helps state agencies in investigations. And the state Department of Environmental Quality has asked for help in another investigation that Top Stop says it is fully cooperating with.

Second investigation launched into gas leak in Gunnison

The leak of nearly 20,000 gallons of gasoline into the ground in Gunnison has caused serious problems for both homes and businesses. And now the attorney general's office is investigating if negligence resulting in the leak could be considered criminal. Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, said, "The Department of Environmental Quality asked our office to conduct an investigation to see if there were any criminal actions regarding this leak, and now the department has asked our office to take another look."

Because it is an ongoing investigation, officials won't give specifics about what they may be looking for. "We have an investigator who is experienced in environmental crimes, and she will go back and talk to more people and see whether or not any crimes were committed," Murphy said.

Allegations that the leak was going on for months before it was discovered have continued to circulate in recent weeks. "Based on the original investigation, we didn't find any actions that could be considered criminal. Now they are going back and looking at it again," said Murphy.

Top Stop's owners talked to Eyewitness News on the phone today and insist they are doing everything that is being asked of them by state environmental officials.

The owners say they are receiving daily briefings from the environmental contractor on the cleanup progress and say they are being responsible in the cleanup and remediation efforts.

Top Stop says it remains committed to the cleanup in Gunnison and is pushing to take care of it as soon as possible.

Top Stop says on Jan. 7, the state requested more documents on the history of the tank. Top Stop says they are sending much more than the state asked for, going back to 1992, and those documents are going in today's mail.