State Water Board settles allegations of professional negligence with Ami Adini & Assoc.

A settlement agreement between the State Water Resources Control Board and Los Angeles-based Ami Adini & Associates, Inc. has been reached over allegations the environmental engineering and consultation firm was negligent in conducting cleanup of petroleum contaminated underground storage tank sites. Adini & Associates provides general engineering and hazardous substance removal services.

Adini & Associates will forgo more than $1 million in reimbursements it was seeking from the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund (Cleanup Fund) and is barred from future work with any State Water Board programs. Additionally, under the terms of the settlement agreement, the prohibitions includes all work overseen, directed, funded, submitted to or administered by the State Water Board. The State Water Board was assisted by the California Office of the Attorney General is reaching the settlement agreement.

Whereas the settlement between the State Water Board and Adini & Associates resolves the allegations of professional negligence, the Water Board’s complaint claiming Adini’s firm submitted false information – in order to receive payment from the Cleanup Fund for work not performed and supplies not used – is set for trial later this year. The trial will include the whistleblower suit filed by a former Ami Adini & Associates employee. The two issues have been consolidated into one trial.

“Pursuing an action for professional negligence demonstrates that the State Water Board is serious about protecting the resources of the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund from waste and abuse,” said Cris Carrigan, director of the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement. “Consultants should not be able to bilk the fund for services that are not necessary or reasonable. We think this sends a message to claimants and consultants that cleanup alternatives need to be continuously evaluated for effectiveness. Soil and groundwater cleanup alternatives need to be implemented in a fashion that achieves site closure in a reasonable amount of time.”

Adini & Associates, owned by Ami Adini and Elie Balas, provides investigation and remediation services at petroleum contaminated gasoline stations. Their work has included more than 70 sites in the counties of Humboldt, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Barbara and Sonoma.

The stipulated agreement can be viewed on the Office of Enforcement’s website at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/enforcement/docs/2017/aaa_stip_judge_profneg.pdf.

For more information on the State Water Board’s efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute cases of fraud, waste and/or abuse against the Cleanup Fund, see the fact sheet “Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund Fraud Prevention” at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/publications_forms/publications/factsheets/docs/fraud_efforts_factsheet.pdf.

Suspected fraud, waste and/or abuse against the Cleanup Fund can be reported by email at:  [email protected], by toll-free message line (1-855-263-0863) or by mailing or faxing a Fraud Reporting Complaint Form to the State Water Board at:

State Water Board

Office of Enforcement

1. O. Box 100

Sacramento, CA 95812

Fax: (916) 341-5896

The Fraud Reporting Complaint Form can be found online at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/ustcf/docs/fraudcomplaint_form.pdf.