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Gas Stations to Curb Runoff

That steaming, sputtering, smoking vehicular dinosaur pulling up at the gas station's water hose is a major source of pollutants in runoff, according to a new study conducted by the Sacramento County Public Works Department and released September 30. The study, funded in part by the S.F. Estuary Project, examined pollutant sources at three self-serve gas stations in the Sacramento area and found more metals than hydrocarbons in the station runoff. According to Sacramento's project manager Fred Garcia, the lower level of hydrocarbons shows that spills from fueling activities may be vaporizing or volatizing rather than ending up in storm drains. Leaks from dumpsters and boilovers in the air and water supply zones proved more substantial sources.

Now that sources have been identified and measured, officials can explore and recommend Best Management Practices (BMPs) to stem them. Take the good old-fashioned daily hose-down of the station pad, for example. This September, Garcia and station owners watched as one entrepreneur demonstrated a less-polluting alternative: a high pressure spray backed up by a spongy vacuum boom to collect the water. "The kink now is to work out some kind of reasonable way of regulating disposal of the water collected," says Garcia.

But the oil companies, who've already begun their own BMP and runoff research program, think this move to regulate gas stations may be going "a bit too far," according to Arco's Jim White, "especially when we're finding the same types of pollution from parking lots and roads."

In the meantime, the Arco, Shell and Chevron stations in the Sacramento study will be trying out the county's recommended BMPs this rainy season, including the new high-tech hose-down method, employee education, dry clean up for spills, and protection of dumpsters and air/water supply areas from rainfall. Garcia will then compare pre-BMP with post-BMP runoff contamination levels and evaluate effectiveness. "There's a desperate need for these types of studies," he says "so people aren't blindly going out and doing things they think make a difference."

Contact: Fred Garcia (916)440-6851

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