Motorists on the way to Wrightsville Beach can once again fuel up at the Polar Pack gas station on Wrightsville Avenue. The gasoline pumps, which have been out of order since early September, are up and running again this week.
Owner Aaron Polar said problems began early August, when water began leaking into the gasoline through an air vent. The vent was fixed, but on Sept. 22, gas was discovered in a stormwater drain across the street from the station, causing a section of the Lumina Commons parking lot to be blocked off while the Wilmington Fire Department and a crew from the Wilmington hazardous waste company SR&R Environmental attempted to locate the source.
Polar said the hazardous waste company told him the gasoline likely came from a hole in the Polar Pack’s mid-grade fuel tank, but as the tank was buried underground, they could not be sure without further investigation. The tank was emptied, and Polar was required to apply for a permit from the State of North Carolina to resume selling gas.
Polar received his permit Monday, Oct. 20, and on Wednesday, hazardous waste crews returned to test groundwater and soil for any remnants of gasoline. Polar said his insurance company is going to send a camera down to investigate the possible hole in the tank, and what might have caused the hole.
Based on those findings, Polar said he will either have the hole repaired or abandon the tank and fill it with sand. Polar expressed frustration at encountering so many issues with the gas station already, having only acquired it last December.
He said he is still waiting and trying to figure out what he will need to do next, but in the meantime he is relieved to be back up and running with premium, diesel and regular fuel.
“After all the soil samples, they’re going to tell me what my next step is. It’s not easy, but it’s life and you gotta keep going. It could have been a lot worse.”
