Station sold contaminated gas

Tracy Rizzo, 22, of Salisbury, with a sample of water-contaminated gas she purchased last month from a BP station at 865 Carman Ave., across the street. It cost her more than $2,000 in repairs.

Christina Daly/Herald

The station, on 865 Carman Ave., was shut down for two weeks after it was discovered that its gas tank contained five inches of water — well above the legal limit of two, Nassau County officials said. The station reopened on March 10.

Nicole Monteleone/Herald

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A BP station on Carman Avenue in Salisbury was recently shut down for two weeks by Nassau County after it sold contaminated gasoline to customers, according to Madeline Farley, commissioner of the county’s Department of Consumer Affairs.

The contamination, Farley said, was caused by melting ice seeping into the station’s gasoline tank, resulting in an accumulation of five inches of water, well above the legal limit of two. The station has since repaired its tank, and reopened on March 10, but not before costing several customers hundreds of dollars in repairs.

The problem began in late February, when customers who purchased gasoline from the station, at 865 Carman Ave., at the intersection with Stewart Avenue, saw their cars break down almost immediately. One of them, Bill Hendrickson, who lives less than a mile from the station, said he purchased gasoline there on Feb. 23. “And I didn’t even make it home,” he said.

A mechanic discovered the water in Hendrickson’s gas tank, repaired it, and charged him $500. Hendrickson, like several others, reported it to the county, and the consumers affairs department sent inspectors to the station. They, too, found the water, and shut the station down on Feb. 25. The department has received about a half dozen complaints from people with stories similar to Hendrickson’s, Farley said.

The contamination was caused by a defective fill cap, Farley explained, noting that it is the station’s responsibility to check the tank’s water levels daily. “They obviously didn’t do it that day,” she said. “It could be because the fill was frozen over with ice and they didn’t want to spend the time to break it open.”

But inspectors gave the OK to the station to reopen after employees purged its tank, cleaned its filters and repaired the defective cap, Farley said. “They did what they were supposed to do,” she said.

She added that those who registered complaints said the repairs ranged from $500 to $2,500, and that her department is working to ensure that the station reimburses each one who has a receipt.