Learn how 130,000 gasoline stations across the United States are fueling the climate crisis.
GAS STATIONS ARE FUELING THE CLIMATE CRISIS.
There are over 130,000 gas stations across the United States.
They are the last link in the chain connecting the oil field and the gas-powered vehicles on our streets.
Every gallon of gasoline sold adds 20 lbs of carbon dioxide to our atmosphere.
Collectively, Americans consumed 142 billion gallons of gasoline in 2019, producing 1.42 billion tons of CO2.
CURRENT BACKLOG OF LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS AWAITING CLEANUP:
63,677
Gas Stations Are Fueling The Climate Crisis, Polluting Our Communities, And Poisoning Our Health
A TYPICAL GAS STATION CAN SPILL UP TO 100 GALLONS OF GASOLINE ANNUALLY.
THE AVERAGE AGE OF AN UNDERGROUND GASOLINE STORAGE TANK IN THE U.S. IS 22.6 YEARS OLD.
PUMPING GASOLINE EMITS BENZENE, A KNOWN CARCINOGEN WITH NO SAFE EXPOSURE LEVEL.
Small spills and leaks in the course of everyday fueling can add up to anywhere from 70 to 100 gallons of spilled gasoline for every 1 million gallons sold.
A 10-gallon spill of petroleum can contaminate 12 million gallons of groundwater.
Gas station operators have little incentive to clean up leaks and spills.
Abandoned and contaminated gas stations account for roughly half of America’s 450,000 brownfields. As electric vehicles become more common and demand for gasoline shrinks, abandoned gas stations may become more common.
The lifespan for safe use of an underground storage tank (UST) for gasoline is 25-30 years. Modern storage tanks include a second wall to prevent leaks.
Roughly half of USTs and piping systems currently in use are either past the age of safe use or are single walled.
In the course of everyday use, gas stations release toxic vapors into our air and contaminate our soil and groundwater through spills and chemical runoff.
Gasoline vapors emitted during pumping contain benzene, a known carcinogen linked to hormonal disorders, fertility issues, lung cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and several forms of leukemia. The WHO maintains there is no safe level of benzene exposure.
Children Living Next To A Gas Station Are At 8x Higher Risk Of Developing Leukemia
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Governing the Gasoline Spigot: Gas station regulation and the transition away from gasoline explores questions of how aging infrastructure and gas station contamination should be addressed and maps a regulatory path forward to create a smaller, cleaner network of gas stations.
LISTEN TO MATTHEW AND JANELLE DISCUSS THE ARTICLE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE’S “PEOPLE PLACES PLANET” PODCAST: