Nov 16, 2019 2 min read

CHARLEROI – The state Department of Environmental Protection gave a Charleroi service station until the end of the business day Friday to hire a qualified company to clean up nearly 1,000 gallons of gasoline that spilled from its underground storage tank last month.

The DEP order issued Friday gave J.G. Services Gulf Station less than a week to submit an interim remedial action plan for abating the immediate threat to human health and the environment the spill created, said department spokeswoman Lauren Fraley.

“In addition to requiring remedial measures, the department’s order clarifies that the burden of mitigating such vapors in sewers and residences falls on the station operator responsible for the gasoline release, not the local fire department or sewage authority,” Fraley said.

The DEP has already accused the station this week of unlawful conduct because of the Oct. 17 spill that continued this week to send gasoline fumes into nearby buildings.

The department also accused the station of failure to ensure releases do not occur, constituting a public nuisance after the spill.

The DEP attributed the fumes to a faulty overflow prevention system that has since been repaired at the station at First Street and McKean Avenue.

The Friday order also required the station to identify, mitigate, and monitor vapors and petroleum and their associated safety hazards.

It also must prevent further migration of the fuel and recovery and remediate any contaminated soils, if present, Fraley said.

A woman who answered the telephone at the business Friday afternoon said, “no comment,” before abruptly ending the call.