POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County government has paid the state Department of Environmental Conservation $25,000 in satisfaction of a consent decree for having a number of violations in its petroleum bulk storage facilities.

The DEC inspected, along with the county, its Amenia and Poughkeepsie highway garages and the auto service center in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

There were no violations for leaking tanks and no safety related issues, said County Commissioner of Public Works, Charles Traver. What was found were tanks and components that were not properly labeled and in some cases, not painted the appropriate color, he said.

The county was very cooperative, said a spokeswoman for the DEC.

But, County Legislator Joel Tyner, chairman of the Environment Committee, said he has learned of more serious issues.

“What I learned today from the DEC in Albany is that literally 3,700 gallons of jet fuel were spilled at the Dutchess County Airport on September 22nd of last year. I also learned that the Dutchess County Highway Department facility on Dutchess Turnpike in Poughkeepsie, I learned that that facility last April in ’08, soil contamination was found when they were looking to expand the facility. And, that spill is still listed as open. It has not been fully closed yet,” he said.

Tyner said he wants an explanation about those issues.