Philly Area Gas Stations Settle Clean Air Cases with EPA

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that 13 gas stations across the Delaware Valley have agreed to pay civil penalties and come into compliance with Clean Air Act regulations. These stations are in Doylestown, Media, Norristown, Philadelphia and West Chester, Pa.

EPA cited the stations for a variety of alleged violations that could release harmful volatile organic compounds, which lead to formation of ground-level ozone pollutants, into the air as customers fill up their gas tanks and when gasoline is delivered to the stations.

The alleged violations include failure to use federally approved pump nozzles that recover gasoline vapors, failure to repair damaged or defective pump nozzles, failure to remove the overflow of gasoline spilled while delivering it to storage tanks, failure to repair damaged storage system caps and piping, failure to provide adequate training and instructions to the operators of the gasoline dispensing facilities, failure to maintain records of system operation and failure to have signs posted on how to use the systems with a telephone number to call if there is a problem.

“Since high levels of ozone smog can cause serious breathing problems, especially for people with asthma, controlling these pollutants is important to protecting public health,” said Donald S. Welsh. “Making sure gas stations are installing and maintaining vapor recovery equipment is one effective way we can improve air quality.”

These alleged violations were found during EPA inspections from Nov.13 to Nov. 27, 2006. The penalties range from $1,250 to $250 per station.

The Philadelphia-five county region is the third area in which EPA’s mid-Atlantic regional office has undertaken inspections and enforcement actions at gas stations for ground-level ozone requirements. The other areas are in Washington, D.C. and Allegheny County, Pa., where like the Philadelphia region air quality does not meet allowable limits for ozone.

For the latest information on air quality trends in the U.S., visit www.epa.gov/airtrends.

The stations in Doylestown are:
Lukoil Gas Station at 659 North Easton Road owned by Getty Petroleum Marketing, Inc.
BP/Amoco at 3611 North Easton Road owned by Breaktime Management, Inc.

The stations in Media are:
Lukoil Gas Station, 501 Baltimore Pike owned by MAK Petroleum, Inc.
Sunoco Co-op, 296 East Baltimore Pike and also at 1300 North Providence Road owned by Sunoco, Inc. (R&M)

The stations in Norristown are:
Sunoco/A-Plus Mini Mart, 630 West Main Street owned by Sunoco Inc. (R&M)
Bp/Amoco, 223 Main Street owned by Shiv and Manasi Enterprise Inc,
Mobil-American Auto Wash, 220 West Main Street owned by American Auto Wash Inc.

The stations in Philadelphia are:
Cottman Tiger Exxon, 2250 Cottman Avenue owned by A&R Bros. Inc.
Lukoil Gas Station, 9100 Frankford Avenue owned by Getty Petroleum Marketing, Inc

The stations in West Chester are:
Lukoil Gas Station, 455 Hannum owned by West Falcon Inc.,
Lukoil Gas Station, 845 Paoli Pike owned by Getty Petroleum Marketing, Inc
West Chester BP, 1001 Wilmington Pike, owned by DML Automotive, Inc.