Woman Wants Citgo Station To Pick Up Tab For Damage Caused By Bad Fuel

[ZLoth]

From CBS New York:

Woman Wants Citgo Station To Pick Up Tab For Damage Caused By Bad Fuel

A Bergen County gas station is under investigation for allegedly selling contaminated fuel.

As CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez reported, a woman said that her gas tank was filled with water, and now she wants the station owner to pay.

Adrienne Roetman said that her nightmare began when she filled her car's nearly empty tank with contaminated gas from a Citgo station in Midland Park, New Jersey. It didn't take long for the car to die.

"It just died. I mean, it wouldn't start."  she said.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Ok, folks, how does one test their gasoline when pumping up? At least this hasn't happened to me here in California.

[Pete from Boston]

It was New Jersey, so she didn't pump up, the attendant did.

[formulanone]

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

[US71]

This happened somewhere else recently and the station agreed to pay for repairs to any vehicles damaged by the bad fuel.

[Pete from Boston]

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

I once had six months of trying to nail down a fuel-system issue in my truck, replacing a dozen different components on what had become an unhealthy personal battle.  I had nightmares about dirty fuel all the time.

[Jardine]

Here in SW Iowa, it is not completely unheard of for gasoline and diesel to get swapped, and if the fault of the station, AFAIK, they always step up to the plate for the damages.  I recall one incident when the local Co-op realized they had delivered bad fuel to some farms, and was able to alert some of those affected to not use the fuel till the tanks were purged.

I have 1000 gallons of diesel storage and 1100 gallons of gasoline storage on my farm, and a portable 500 gallon diesel tank too. I don't think I save much on bulk delivery (except state tax on fuel for tractors is less) but it is handy to fuel at home and not have to deal with convenience stores and gas stations.

[Brandon]

From CBS New York:

Woman Wants Citgo Station To Pick Up Tab For Damage Caused By Bad Fuel

A Bergen County gas station is under investigation for allegedly selling contaminated fuel.

As CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez reported, a woman said that her gas tank was filled with water, and now she wants the station owner to pay.

Adrienne Roetman said that her nightmare began when she filled her car's nearly empty tank with contaminated gas from a Citgo station in Midland Park, New Jersey. It didn't take long for the car to die.

"It just died. I mean, it wouldn't start."  she said.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Ok, folks, how does one test their gasoline when pumping up? At least this hasn't happened to me here in California.

You cannot really test it before pumping.  As for how the water got into the gasoline, there are a few ways it could.

1. The water was already in the tanker truck prior to delivery.  Unlikely, and would cause damage to multiple vehicles at multiple stations.  I don't suspect this here.

2. The underground storage tanks are not tight at the top and water leaked in from the fill ports and vent ports.  Highly likely, and should have been caught during annual tank tightness testing (required by most UST oversight agencies).  And should have been caught by a functional tank leak detection system.  Very likely.

3. The USTs are leaking directly to the ground.  Unlikely as they are usually made of double-wall fiberglass-reinforced plastic today.  The leak detection system, if functional, should have been lit up like a Christmas tree.

My suspicion, based upon years of dealing with USTs and leak detection systems is that the leak detection system at that filling station is non-functional, and the water got in via the vent and fill ports on the USTs.  The employees probably did not do any sort of inventory review either (gallons sold versus gallons purchased from the refinery).  It sounds, to me, like a very sloppy filling station operation, and the New Jersey equivalent of the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal should get involved.

Here, the OSFM would be levying fines up the wazoo against this filling station for the possible inventory problems and leak detection problems.

[Brandon]

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

I once had six months of trying to nail down a fuel-system issue in my truck, replacing a dozen different components on what had become an unhealthy personal battle.  I had nightmares about dirty fuel all the time.

It's not "dirty fuel".  This is water-contaminated fuel, and no matter how much detergent is put into the fuel, it will never compensate for water contaminating the fuel.

The ways to avoid it typically are:

1. Buy gasoline (or diesel) from a filling station that sees a lot of turnover in inventory, i.e. they're busy.
2. Buy fuel from a newer filling station.  They are less likely to have older steel USTs.  If maintained properly, the double-walled Fiberglass-reinforced plastic USTs should never see water or sludge.

[Jim]

A relative of mine was successful in getting a Sunoco station to pay for his extensive repairs on a nearly new car due to bad fuel.  I don't remember if the station owned up to it right away or if he had to threaten legal action.  The station had just reopened after being torn down and rebuilt for conversion to a Sunoco.  The whole lot was torn up during the conversion, so I expect they installed all new storage tanks.

[jeffandnicole]

One station (in NJ, I think) had jet fuel pumped into their tanks about a year or so ago.  Great stuff for planes; not so for cars. 

It appears in this particular case at the Citgo, several people had issues, and had the issue repaired without a problem.  It seems to be this particular woman either asked for more extensive work, or received more extensive work than was required, and that's why the station owner is balking at paying the bill.  If the station reimbursed 11 bills for $300 or so, and this person got repairs that totaled over $3,000, I can see why the station would think something's not right.

[catch22]

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

I once had six months of trying to nail down a fuel-system issue in my truck, replacing a dozen different components on what had become an unhealthy personal battle.  I had nightmares about dirty fuel all the time.

It's not "dirty fuel".  This is water-contaminated fuel, and no matter how much detergent is put into the fuel, it will never compensate for water contaminating the fuel.

The ways to avoid it typically are:

1. Buy gasoline (or diesel) from a filling station that sees a lot of turnover in inventory, i.e. they're busy.
2. Buy fuel from a newer filling station.  They are less likely to have older steel USTs.  If maintained properly, the double-walled Fiberglass-reinforced plastic USTs should never see water or sludge.

3. Never buy fuel at a station getting a bulk delivery.  That can stir up water that normally settles to the bottom of the tanks.

In my high school days (late 60s), I was a pump jockey at an Amoco station.  One of my "dirty jobs" was to check the tanks twice a week to see how much water had settled to the bottom, using a long wood stick marked off in inches, and some special goo that changed color in the presence of water.  If the level was more than a few inches, we had a hand pump with a long hose that we used to remove it.  I just kept pumping until the runoff started to smell like gas.  The owner of the station said it was due to "condensation."   Sounded fishy to me then, and still does.

[signalman]

In my high school days (late 60s), I was a pump jockey at an Amoco station.  One of my "dirty jobs" was to check the tanks twice a week to see how much water had settled to the bottom, using a long wood stick marked off in inches, and some special goo that changed color in the presence of water.  If the level was more than a few inches, we had a hand pump with a long hose that we used to remove it.  I just kept pumping until the runoff started to smell like gas.  The owner of the station said it was due to "condensation."   Sounded fishy to me then, and still does.

That goo is called water finding paste, and it's nasty stuff if you get it on your skin.  It can and does even bleed through rubber gloves.  Also, the submersible pumps are at the bottom of all in ground tanks, so there should be zero water in any fuel tank.  Water is heavier than gasoline, so it will naturally sink to the bottom.

[US71]

>

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

Hype and fear sell better than common sense

MB886

[SteveG1988]

I used to work with fuel as my day to day job in the military, and my first job out of the military.

Most fuel tanks that are over 10 years old do leak, it is due to the fact that the ground freezes and thaws, expanding and contracting around that tank, eventually they do gain a small leak here and there that needs to be pumped out occasionally. Our diesel tank on base would always get this nice goop at the bottom that due to switching from B20 biodiesel to 100% petrodiesel in the winter would be pumped out. The tanks were put in some time in the 1990s.

This citgo station should have had an automatic tank gauging system that can detect water.

This water problem has become more apparent lately due to E10 fuel. MTBE and E10 both react to water in odd ways. MTBE gets absorbed into ground water and the effects on the human body are unknown at this time, some feel it can cause cancer. That is why E10 is becoming more common, MTBE has the potential for major health issues, and the EPA in many states requires the fuel to have an oxygenate blended in. E10 has replaced it due to that since it meets the same standards, and does not have the same issues with ground water contamination. The water issue with E10 is that alcohol and water mix quite easily, meaning that if a tank is filling with water slowly, the E10 will cause it to get sucked out into the nozzle. This is how Iso-Heet/DryGas work, it prevents water in your fuel lines from freezing up by absorbing it into something flammable.

There are pros and cons to each oxygenate, E10 is potentially more harmful overall due to it causing a mpg drop, causing more greenhouse gases. But MTBE is a potential carcinogen, and has not been as studied.

[cpzilliacus]

I got a tank of bad Diesel once (contaminated by algae "green slime"). 

But the problem did not become apparent right away, so I could not "trace" it back to which station I had purchased it from. Repairs were several hundred dollars (tank had to be dropped and cleaned out, and the in-tank fuel pump replaced).

I do try to only purchase fuel from places that pump a lot of Diesel when possible - ideally places that sell  a lot to dump trucks, trash trucks and wreckers.

[ET21]

This happened somewhere else recently and the station agreed to pay for repairs to any vehicles damaged by the bad fuel.

What I remember is when BP had this contamination issue
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-28/business/chi-bp-contaminated-gasoline-claims-reach-6500-20120827_1_bp-refinery-bad-gasoline-clean-burning-gasoline

[vdeane]

>

I like how the media uses the word "nightmare", as if it tainted gasoline is part of typical bad-dream scenarios, and dirty fuel has entered the public's collective unconscious.

Hype and fear sell better than common sense

MB886

Words have multiple definitions