REPORT: Half of California gas stations could face closure for failing to install costly new nozzles
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, California gas station operators have known since 2000 that they would have to install new nozzles on their gas pumps by tomorrow's deadline. And yet at least 2,000 of the 3,900 stations in the Southern California region and 60 percent of stations statewide have failed to do exactly that. The California Air Resources Board ruled nine years ago that gas pumps would have to be equipped with enhanced vapor recovery nozzles that capture and recirculate the gasoline vapors that inevitably escape while pumping gas. Unfortunately, the narrow margins of gas retailing and high cost of the nozzles has made stations owners reluctant to spend the money. The equipment costs roughly $11,000 per pump.
Starting April 1, stations that haven't upgraded will start to face fines that will be ramped up toward the end of this year. Stations that haven't made the changes by the end of 2009 face closure.
[Source: Los Angeles Daily News | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
paul-michael 2:27PM (3/31/2009)
april fool's joke?
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lowmilelude 2:29PM (3/31/2009)
One would hope. This would be an unmitigated disaster. Recapturing gasoline fumes? What a farce.
Juan 3:04PM (3/31/2009)
I think I've seen fume recapturing systems in other states.
Randy 3:20PM (3/31/2009)
I don't think it's a joke! Here in Massachusetts, those pump handles are on all the pumps! Interesting to know that Massachusetts has had them for at least 5 years and California (home of California emissions) is trailing behind!
Note that with these pumps, lots of cities and towns changed their laws regarding certain things such as they make laws to so you cannot set and forget your pump. Meaning you have to hold it the entire time it's pumping so that 'bad people" won't lay the pump down engaged and let the lot fill up with gas and then light it from afar!
The changing of the handle is what negates being grandfathered! Interesting slight of hand huh?
eatpusy 4:51PM (3/31/2009)
If I'm not mistaken, there's an awful lot of motorcycles in CA. Here in MO, we have the funky nozzles. I'm forced to pull them back like foreskin in order to pump gas into my motorcycle tank. So, what's next for CA? Target 'dem bikes?
Oh yeah, and a lot of Mexicans doing yard service in CA are in the same boat when filling their portable carriers.
f1tifoso 12:51PM (4/01/2009)
California IS one big April fool...
waiting for the quake that takes them away to the sea...
220v 2:28PM (3/31/2009)
I wonder how long the manufacturer lobbied that state senator, and how much money he put into her pocket.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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hokieman09 2:31PM (3/31/2009)
Exactly what I was thinking. This is ridiculous
g00fba11 3:16PM (3/31/2009)
Ya' got it!!!!
iamhoff 4:43PM (3/31/2009)
And when large numbers of stations start closing to implement the change, all that's going to mean is prices get to rise. Again.
cdwrx 5:16PM (3/31/2009)
It sounds like you support publicly financed elections to reduce/eliminate the hold well funded interests have on politicians.
BigWill 5:28PM (3/31/2009)
This is California, land of CARB. They don't need lobbying to pull off something like this.
Jon Barrett 2:29PM (3/31/2009)
And all this is going to do is make our already higher-than-national-average gas prices that much higher. I have definitely noticed the stations around me that have upgraded their nozzles have also raised prices.
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Nick 2:31PM (3/31/2009)
Good, 4 gas stations at every intersection is too much anyway.
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RamblinReck89 2:31PM (3/31/2009)
Fark California. Are you kidding me?
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Franz 2:32PM (3/31/2009)
California Love...................... California... knows how to party...
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Jake B 5:44PM (3/31/2009)
California! Is super cool to the homeless. Californya-nya-nya! is super cool to the homeless.
why not the LS2LS7? 2:35PM (3/31/2009)
They had 9 years warning. Give me a break.
And for those who wonder, non vapor recovery gas filler nozzles are a substantial source of VOCs in the atmosphere.
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SimbaDogg 2:52PM (3/31/2009)
i was just about to say the same thing, and ontop of that...SERIOUSLY they had 9 years to make it happen. i mean in all honesty, you raise your prices on all grades of gasoline by 1 penny per gallon over x amount of months you would have made all the money to recoup the costs in months. i mean crap..even if they did 1/4 of a cent, over the course of 5 years, does anyone think they wouldn't have been able to make those costs. even at low volume stations. this is just poor planning, and poor mgmt if you ask me.
zamafir 2:56PM (3/31/2009)
Yup, 'woe is me, i've known about this for nine years but didn't make it a priority'. This would be the reason why I keep my business and employees up to date on changes in state and federal regulations which affect us years in advance and adapt to them immediately (or as quickly as possible). Just as I feel about the GM and Chrsyler, I have a hard time identifying with any form of management which runs its business ineptly. 9 years is enough time to adapt when the majority of revenue generating products in gas stations (read, not the gas) are selling at a 50+ % margin.