Twenty-nine gas stations in Florida were asked to stop selling fuel and clean out their storage tanks after the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services identified potentially widespread fuel contamination at the Port of Tampa.
The department said any gasoline purchased after 10 a.m. Saturday, August 26, at stations supplied by CITGO from the Port of Tampa had a strong likelihood of being contaminated. These included 7-Eleven convenience stores in Holiday, Lithia, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, Lakeland, North Cape Coral, Cape Coral, Brooksville, Plant City, Cape Coral, Zephyrhills and Cape Coral; BJ's Wholesale locations in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lady Lakes; Handy Foods Stores in Alva and Lehigh Acres; and several independent stores:
- Superday CITGO in Port Charlotte
- Bolton One LLC in Hudson
- JHW/Avenue CITGO in Dunellon
- AL Prime in Daytona Beach
- Quick & Easy Stop in Sarasota
- Palmers Easy Stop in Sarasota
- Faulkenburg CITGO in Tampa
- Choice Food & Gas in Umatilla
- 2K Express 5 in Tampa
- Perfection Station 5 in Tampa
- Big Dan's Car Wash in Tarpon Springs
These stations were asked to stop selling gas until the contaminated fuel is replaced and tanks are cleaned. Once the stations are cleared or have completed a corrective action plan, fuel will once again be safe for purchase, the department said.
For its part, CITGO said it is working with the retail locations to remove the contaminated fuel.
“In the meantime,” it said in a statement, “thank you for patience and understanding as we work to return these locations to normal operations. If, however, you have purchased fuel from one of these locations on or after Aug. 26, and are concerned your vehicle may be impacted, you can initiate a claim through the CITGO Good Gas Guarantee program https://www.citgo.com/contact-us.”
Noting the contamination was caused by “human error," the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said contaminated gasoline and diesel have the potential of causing engine damage or affecting operability, alerting motorists who purchased gas from affected stations after 10 a.m. Saturday that their vehicles or generators may not function properly.
Motorists who believe they may have purchased contaminated fuel were encouraged to contact the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 1-800-HELP-FLA or www.fdacs.gov.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.