ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida gas station owners have until December 31 to upgrade their underground and aboveground storage tanks or face fines or closure, and about 1,250 tanks in Central Florida still remain out of compliance900 USTs and 350 ASTs, reported Central Florida News 13-TV. And more remain out of compliance statewide.
A majority of the gas stations still not in compliance are independently owned, so their profit margins are a lot smaller, according to the report. The necessary upgrades cost about $250,000, an investment that could take some independent owners [image-nocss] years to recoupif they can even find a way to do it by this month's deadline.
"A lot of independent people are going to be hurt by thisa lot of small business peoplebecause the economy is bad," CITGO station owner Maurice Noujam told the newspaper. "The bank's not going to loan you money. Where are you going to get that?"
Noujam told News 13 he would decide next week whether it was worth it for him to stay in business.
Florida's legislature has given the gas stations a lot of time to comply, the report said. The laws requiring secondary containment were passed in 1984. The law was designed to protect the state's groundwater, which makes up about 92% of the water Floridians drink.
Gas station owners who have waited until the last minute told News 13 they are now finding a shortage of tanks, with the wait being about six to eight weeks. If they decide to stay open in the meantime, they face a $10,000 daily penalty; however, if the stations close, reduced competition could be bad for consumers if it leads to higher gas prices, the report added.
Depending on the number of pumps, stations can have anywhere from two to about six tanks. An estimated 10% of gas stations statewide could close, the news outlet said.
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), there have been 28,000 fuel leaks in the 25 years station owners have had to comply to the new rules.
Click herefor the FDEP storage tank regulation webpage.
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.