Once more, a Camden gas station finds itself under scrutiny as officials investigate the possibility of contaminated gas causing vehicle breakdowns.
The Conoco gas station located on Admiral Wilson Boulevard is facing renewed scrutiny by the Department of Weights and Measures following reports of car troubles after fueling up.
This isn’t the first time this station has been in the spotlight for such issues. Earlier this year, in January, the same station temporarily closed after numerous vehicles experienced problems post-fueling. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the fuel supply contained a staggering 58 percent water content, a concerning finding attributed to a rainstorm.
County spokesman Dan Keashan confirmed to Patch that the station was shut down once again on Sunday evening after multiple vehicles broke down shortly after refueling at Conoco. Approximately 15 vehicles were impacted this time.
Speculation surrounds the potential cause of the recent incidents, with Keashan suggesting that the heavy rainstorm over the weekend might have contributed to the issue, given reports of street surface flooding. However, concrete conclusions await the results of lab tests currently underway.
In contrast to the previous investigation conducted by the county, this time, Camden’s division of weights and measurements has taken charge of the inquiry.
Following the January incident, the gas station faced a $25,000 fine from the county and was mandated to cover all repair costs incurred by affected vehicle owners.
As of now, it remains uncertain when the station will reopen and what remedial actions will be undertaken. In the previous instance, the county mandated the removal of all contaminated fuel from the station’s tanks and required remediation of the tank interiors. Subsequent to this, the county conducted tests on a sample of newly delivered fuel, permitting Conoco to resume operations only after the sample passed rigorous lab testing.
