Casey’s lack of gas not from leak
Staff writer
Rumors may say otherwise, but gasoline storage tanks at Casey’s General Store in Marion are not leaking, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
For several weeks, fuel pumps at Casey’s in Marion have had yellow bags over the nozzles of all regular pumps.
Lately, yellow bags have been over nozzles of some premium gas pumps as well.
County zoning and environmental director Sharon Omstead spoke with KDHE officials, who sent a team to Marion to see what was going on.
KDHE later reported no gasoline was leaking into the ground.
A spokesman for Casey’s at first didn’t shine much light on why pumps were not being used.
“We are in the process of servicing the fuel tanks at this store so cannot provide fuel at this time,” Tierney Israel said. “We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Israel later issued another statement.
“We have no indication of an issue, and today the Kansas Department of Health and Environment conducted a third-party inspection and found no issues. We are working to complete the maintenance to the tanks as quickly as possible and apologize for the inconvenience.”
Three workers with Clean Fuels National were lowering chains down open covers of fuel storage tanks last week at Casey’s. A Casey’s employee had told one of them that the tanks had been filled the night before but showed as empty Thursday.
Residents’ concerns were related to test wells installed in mid-June because of fuel found in groundwater as a result of earlier fuel leaks elsewhere.
KDHE had eight test wells drilled along Main St. to check for groundwater contamination. One test well was across the street from Casey’s, and another across an intersection. Residents were concerned whether storage tanks at Casey’s might be leaking.
A 1990s spill at the county road and bridge department shop was known to have contaminated groundwater in the area. Test wells were drilled last month because it appeared contamination was more widespread than earlier believed.
Main St. has had several gas stations spanning it over the years.