PROGRAM GOALS

The City has many former gas station sites that are abandoned, vacant or economically underutilized. Usually a contributing factor is the presence of Underground Storage Tanks (USTs), formerly used to store gasoline. State law required that these tanks be upgraded or removed by 1998. Former gas stations may now be vacant for a variety of reasons including: owners who cannot afford the cost of removing USTs and the contamination they may have caused, owners fear of discovering contamination which they will then have to remove, owners who have decided it is their interest to do nothing at this time. The presence of USTs is a barrier to most re-use transactions due to regulatory and financial uncertainty. Therefore, former gas station sites, even if currently being utilized for economic activity can become a neighborhood nuisance in the future if USTs are not removed and contamination addressed. The Brownfields Program goal is to facilitate removal of USTs, assist owners in addressing contamination, and redevelop vacant former gas station sites. 

Presenting: A new Brownfields Program publication...
Guide to Resolving Environmental and Legal Issues at Abandoned and Underutilized Gas Station Sites