(AP) — The collapse of a gas station chain owned for decades by Vice President Mike Pence’s family has cost taxpayers millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites in three states.
That’s the finding of an Associated Press analysis of court documents, business records and environmental reports.
When Kiel Bros. Oil Co. went out of business in 2004, the bankruptcy was widely publicized. But less known is that the state of Indiana — and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois — are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up sites that include underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into the environment.
Since the bankruptcy, Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup. And the work is nowhere near complete.
