LACONIA –– The Belknap County Superior Court has approved a $100,000 settlement between Lakeport Landing Marina, its owner Erica Blizzard, and the State over alleged Underground Storage Tank Act violations.
This comes after allegations that the marina, located on Lake Winnipesaukee, concealed damage to a fuel line and continued dispensing fuel from the compromised system.
The announcement was made by Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Commissioner Robert Scott.
The settlement is related to violations that reportedly occurred between August 30 and September 17, 2021.
The State filed a Petition for Civil Penalties in court, alleging that marina employees severed a fuel line while making dock repairs around August 30.
The petition also claimed that under Blizzard’s direction, Lakeport Landing failed to adequately or promptly notify the NHDES, made an unauthorized and insufficient repair to the fuel line, and continued to dispense fuel from the damaged system.
Blizzard was accused of obstructing the NHDES investigation into the fuel line damage. However, once confronted with evidence of the damage and illegal repair on September 17, she cooperated by capping the fuel line and shutting down the affected area until it could be properly fixed.
While neither Lakeport Landing nor Blizzard admitted to the allegations, they agreed to the $100,000 penalty as part of a settlement. $35,000 of the fine will be suspended for ten years, contingent on the marina’s compliance with Underground Storage Tank laws and regulations.
