Leaking fuel tanks a hazard, say officials

At least 25,000 buried gasoline tanks around the state have leaked, officials say, posing a threat to drinking water.

©Associated Press
July 8, 2002

ORLANDO -- Buried gas storage tanks have leaked hazardous material into at least 25,000 sites around Florida, causing concern among scientists that the state's absorbent, sandy soil may be in danger, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said.

Scientists said the pollution is a result of Florida's high use of gasoline. The state ranks third, after California and Texas, in gas consumption, burning nearly 20-million gallons a day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

About 22,000 of the leak sites have been near gas stations and other facilities, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Many of the leaks are occurring in areas near a drinking-water water source, scientists said.

Only California has more contaminated fuel tank sites than Florida, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, in California, there is less potential for drinking-water contamination, the EPA said.

Seventeen million Florida residents use water from public wells within a half-mile of leaking tanks, state environmental officials said.

"People don't realize when they are filling their cars with gas that they are handling a hazardous substance -- gasoline is explosive and it can cause cancer," said Michael Ashey, chief of the Bureau of Petroleum Storage Systems for the Florida environmental agency.

Many cleanup sites are in Miami-Dade and Hillsborough counties. Leaks have contaminated drinking water in 38 counties and surface water in 42 counties, according to environmental agency records.

State officials are trying to clean up more than 3,000 sites and more than 10,000 sites are awaiting cleanup.

In addition, Florida has tried to contain leaks by requiring double-walled petroleum-storage systems to replace older tanks by 2010.

"Florida has the most stringent storage-tank restrictions in the nation," said storage-tank bureau administrator Marshall Mott-Smith. "We have to because we depend on groundwater more than anywhere else."

Florida collects up to 80 cents per barrel of petroleum products produced or imported into the state to fund cleanups. The state spent $151-million last year to expedite cleanups, but officials say they need more money to reduce the backlog.

"We're going to be cleaning up gasoline contamination for the next 20 years or longer," Ashey said.

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