"Blame the shutdown of Bay Farm's only fuel stop on the estimated $2 million price tag to remove the station's old single-walled underground gas storage tank and replace it with a state-mandated double-walled one - an environmental upgrade. That's just too high for station owner Simon Kim. When Kim was first notified several years ago that he needed a double-walled tank, the cost was $1 million. He says at the time he thought he could handle that."
""But the COVID (pandemic) hit, so prices started to rise up. So the average cost is about $2 million," says Kim. Kim also says he faces a potential fine of up to $20,000 a day if the tank is not replaced by Dec. 31. Adding to the headache for the independent operator, who doesn't own the land his station sits on, is that he couldn't make the decision to upgrade on his own."
The Unocal 76 station on Mecartney Road at Harbor Bay Landing will close on Nov. 30 because replacing an old single-walled underground gas storage tank with a state-mandated double-walled tank is estimated at about $2 million. Station owner Simon Kim cannot afford the replacement and faces potential fines up to $20,000 per day if the tank is not replaced by Dec. 31. The upgrade requires landlord and 76 approval, and the owner does not control the property. Kim has operated the station since 1984 and prioritized routine maintenance and service for elderly customers.
Read at The Mercury News
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