Soil, groundwater, surface water, and air can be contaminated by gasoline spills, leaks, and improper disposal of gasoline. During the process of filling, emptying tankers, and when filling cars at gas stations, gasoline can be released into the air. A study from Georgia observed that commercial development in general can depress the value of a residential property when it is first finished, and the effect diminishes over time. However, this study examined homes located at a distance of 0.5 to 1.0 miles.
Several studies documented that commercial uses can reduce the value of properties close by, but not remotely. In King County, Washington, commercial uses were found to reduce residential properties located at a distance of 300 feet, but not more than approximately 300 feet. Gasoline is a toxic and highly flammable liquid. The vapors that are released when gasoline evaporates and the substances produced when gasoline is burned (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and unburned hydrocarbons) contribute to air pollution.
Burning gasoline also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Both air pollution and soil pollution are associated with gas service stations. While air pollution is caused by volatile chemicals that vaporize during the gas filling process, soil contamination can result from underground pipes or tanks rusting or leaking, slowly releasing contaminants to the surrounding area. The constant spilling of gasoline can also cause significant pollution.
The USEPA recommended inspecting schools for possible health risks when they are located less than 300 meters from a gas station.. In New Jersey, contaminated soil from a gas station that was demolished decades ago prevents the construction of a new preschool. Let's take a look at the three main gas stations and the last three in terms of their impact on the planet. The research cited above indicates that the most reliable way to protect public health and safety from benzene and other harmful emissions is to guide new gas stations to places where they are located at least 500 feet from properties, schools, and other places where people live, study, or work.
The study, conducted by India's Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), examined air quality at 40 gas stations in Delhi. The CEDS has developed a spreadsheet to determine if a market area will support a proposed gas station. The last section (Zoning) of this website contains a sample of the public health safety zones for a new gas station adopted by other United States. In Illinois, 8,000 gallons of gasoline leaked from a Shell gas station recently when three of the station's underground storage tanks broke.
Ensuring that the local zoning ordinance contains these protective measures is the best way to minimize the chance of a new gas station affecting a neighborhood. Gas stations discovered that benzene emissions from the underground vents of gasoline storage tanks were high enough to constitute a health problem up to 524 feet away. This context is essential to formulate a strategy that protects a neighborhood or the environment from the impacts of a convenience store, gas station, or service station that has been proposed to be built in the wrong place or that has a faulty design. Fueling through mobile devices promotes environmental justice for local communities by eliminating dependence on gas stations, thus eliminating gas stations from communities.
A typical gas station that supplies a million gallons a year spills 70 to 100 gallons a year, while a high-volume gas station like Costco could spill up to 2000 gallons a year. Gas stations release several compounds harmful to human health when fueling vehicles and through the ventilation grilles of underground storage tanks. In March, a chain of gas stations in New York and New Jersey located mainly in low-income communities of color reported the persistence of pollution.
