"Finding a gas station in the Bay Area has become more difficult in recent years as hundreds of stations have closed, driven in part by the high cost of removing potentially dangerous underground storage tanks and complying with state law."
"During one removal, gasoline vapors inside a tank caused an explosion, underscoring the risks involved."
"California first addressed the issue in 1984, when gas stations were barred from installing new single-walled tanks. The concern was environmental safety."
"In 2014, California ordered all single-walled steel tanks removed and replaced with double-walled fiberglass tanks. The change aimed to prevent leaks that can contaminate soil and groundwater."
Finding gas stations in the Bay Area has become harder as hundreds of stations have closed. Closures are driven by the high cost of removing potentially dangerous underground storage tanks and complying with state law. In San Francisco’s Mission District, a Shell station remains out of service while steel tanks are replaced, a complex and hazardous process. During one removal, gasoline vapors inside a tank caused an explosion. California barred new single-walled tanks in 1984 to improve environmental safety and prevent contamination. Aging tanks were found to leak MTBE, a gasoline additive. In 2014, California ordered removal of all single-walled steel tanks and replacement with double-walled fiberglass tanks to reduce leaks into soil and groundwater. Consultants collect and analyze samples from surrounding soil and groundwater to identify contaminants.
#underground-storage-tanks #gas-station-closures #environmental-contamination #mtbe #california-fuel-regulations
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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