Leaky underground tank problem widespread in Utah

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Mar 14, 2008 | by Stephen Speckman Deseret Morning News

"We're actually sitting on a lake of gasoline," Eckardt said. His sister is also named as a plaintiff in the suit in which Eckardt claims the value of his property has been diminished because of the leak.

On a map produced in 2004 by Environmental Resources Management, the so-called lake looks like a large red blotch, surrounded by a larger purple smudge that both represent areas of contaminated soil. An even larger rendering of blue crosshatches depicts a groundwater plume.

An attorney for Gold Cross said his client, along with the state, has tried to work with Eckardt on finding a way to clean up everything but that Eckardt has not fully cooperated along the way.

Eckardt said he wants cleanup to occur, but without disrupting his tenants. He has even considered the idea of drilling large boreholes under his property as a means of remediation.

Although the entire impacted area is covered by concrete and asphalt and there has been no reported contamination of drinking water supplies in the mostly industrial area, Eckardt said banks won't let him borrow against his property. Additionally, lenders won't approve loans for anyone who might be interested in buying his property because of the contaminated soil and groundwater underneath.

While the mess under Eckardt's business has been shown to still exist, it's just not as obvious as it is in Gunnison. And his lawyer, who declined comment for this story, has said in court documents that the gasoline, along with a chemical additive also present in the mix, may never be cleaned up.

Court papers say Gold Cross' tanks were removed and at least some of the mess was cleaned up. Eckardt is claiming there is still contamination under both his property and the one next door and that MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) in the soil may never be completely remediated.

The Environmental Protection Agency describes MTBE as an additive in gasoline to increase its oxygen content toward burning more completely and reducing tailpipe emissions.

The EPA cites research that has not concluded whether inhaling MTBE poses an imminent threat to public health, although some research animals that inhaled high concentrations of MTBE did develop cancer and other health effects. Swallowing MTBE at high doses in drinking water could be a potential human carcinogen, the EPA stated.

Wherever gasoline is stored, there is the possibility that MTBE could leak into the environment and the EPA reports that there is a "growing number" of studies that indicate MTBE has been found in drinking water supplies throughout the country. Testing of wells and public supplies is available, but another way to tell if MTBE is present at higher levels in drinking water is if it tastes or smells like turpentine, according to the EPA.

Getting rid of MTBE in ground water is difficult and costly and it's more resistant to natural biodegradation, the EPA says. But it can be cleaned up with technology like soil vapor extraction, the EPA adds.

There are at least 25 states that have implemented either a complete or partial ban on the use of MTBE as a gasoline additive. The EPA did not list Utah among those states.