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 Gasoline Refueling Facilities - Gas stations account for 40% of stationary sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Spokane County. VOCs are a precursor to ground-level ozone. Any effort to reduce VOC emissions will improve air quality.
1. Keep all equipment well-maintained and in good repair.
Spokane Clean Air receives frequent requests for names of companies that handle gas station maintenance and repair. Spokane Clean Air does not recommend companies that may or may not appear on this service providers list.
2. Install Stage II Vapor Recovery System at the gas station. Stage II systems capture the vapors that are displaced when filling an automobile's tank with gasoline. The vapors are returned back to the underground tanks. When the storage tanks are filled up, the delivery truck captures the vapors.
3. Install a vent cap on the underground storage tank (UST) vents. It costs around $100 for the part and labor. Without the vent cap, gasoline vapors are escaping USTs, losing 10 gallons (or more) a year per tank in vapor release. The biggest vapor loss comes when refilling UST. Vent caps also help prevent moisture (from precipitation) from getting into the tank and contaminating the fuel.
The WA State Department of Ecology has new owner/operator training requirements. Please visit their website for more information.
Local Efforts: There are gas stations that have active Stage II Vapor Recovery, listed below.
- ALBERTSON’S EXPRESS: 1617 Northwest Blvd., 9001 N. Indian Trail Rd., 6520 N. Nevada St.
- COSTCO WHOLESALE: 7619 N Division St., 5601 E. Sprague Ave.
- FAIRWAYS TRAVEL PLAZA: 10506 W. Aero Rd.
- FRED MEYER: 15609 E. Sprague Ave., 3427 E. 5th Ave.
- SAFEWAY: 2501 W. Wellesley Ave., 902 W. Francis Ave., 3909 N. Market St., 1616 Northwest Blvd., 10100 N. Newport Hwy.
Costco is a great example of making maintenance a priority. Both Costco refueling locations in Spokane have Stage I and Stage II vapor recovery equipment, which collect vapors from both underground storage tank filling and vehicle refueling. When even one of the vapor recovery components is defective, the integrity of the entire system is compromised and leaks occur. Vapor recovery components are prone to damage, due to the corrosive properties of gasoline, exposure to the elements, and repetitive usage. Therefore, it is critical that operators regularly inspect each component and replace damaged or defective parts when discovered. When all of the components are in good operating condition, the combined Stage I and II vapor recovery systems provide up to an 87% reduction in total VOC emissions.
Costco has a dedicated employee whose sole job is to monitor the operations of the gasoline dispensing facility. This employee is responsible for, among other things, inspecting the vapor recovery equipment, observing gasoline deliveries to the underground storage tanks, and monitoring vehicle refueling. Public access to pumps and gasoline deliveries to the underground storage tanks are limited to specific hours of operation, which means that no deliveries of fuel are received, nor vehicles refueled outside the hours when Costco personnel are present.
Resources: Compliance Assistance Guidebook for Gasoline Dispensing Facilities in Spokane CountyLinks: CARB, WA Dept. of Ecology
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