Casey’s pumps down for 5 weeks
Staff writer
For the next five weeks less fuel will be available in Marion, but afterward a new source of premium fuel may be available.
Diesel fuel will not be available.
The fuel station at Casey’s General Store is going through a complete overhaul, including pumps and a large fuel tank to replace two smaller ones.
One tank was leaking, according to the construction company in charge of the project.
Casey’s said previously that no environmental problems were noted.
Calls to Kansas Department of Environmental Health were not returned.
The project will take five weeks. Pumps will be inoperable and not accessible.
Cenex is the other fuel station in Marion.
The steel fuel tanks and the pumps at Casey’s are very old and needed to be replaced, said Max Willhaus, general superintendent of Zernco Inc. He added pumps and tanks that are there were probably the original ones when Casey’s General Store opened decades ago.
“They are old enough and will never be used again,” he said.
Several different companies are involved in the project.
Within the project there will be one fuel tank with a divider in the middle to separate regular gas from premium.
This type of work is nothing new to Zernco. The company routinely does similar projects at other fueling stations.
Since one of Casey’s fuel tanks leaked, all remaining fuel had to be pumped out, he said.
“Once the company found out they had problems with the tanks they had to replace them,” he said.
Steel tanks no longer are being used in the industry. A new tank made of fiberglass will be installed.
The difference between steel and fiberglass tanks is the space into which leaking fuel would go, so no contaminated soil might happen he said.
“It’s totally different from a steel tank,” he said.
Both old tanks will be removed by the end of the week, and the new one is scheduled to be put underground Oct. 29.
When the overhaul is finished pumps will have options of regular fuel and premium gas. Casey’s has been able to sell regular unleaded gasoline.
The general store will remain open during construction.