An Edgewood auto shop pleaded guilty to falsifying an inspection report two years ago on an underground gasoline storage tank, Maryland's attorney general announced Thursday.
John R. Pasquinelli Enterprises Inc., which does business as J.C. Discount Tires, was fined $10,000 by a Harford County District Court judge, with half of that suspended. The company was also put on a one-year probation.
The Maryland Department of the Environment uncovered discrepancies in inspection reports. The auto shop altered a report by a testing company so it appeared that the auto shop had passed the test, state officials said.
"A failing underground gasoline tank poses a unique threat to the drinking water and overall health of the surrounding community," said Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler in a statement. "Regular inspections of these facilities help prevent the safety risks and great expense that follows when gasoline seeps into the soil and eventually the water table."
The auto shop did not return a call for comment.