Pilot Travel Center 389

The site currently operates as a convenience store and gas station with four underground storage tanks (USTs) located onsite. In 1996, the USTs were re-lined, but not removed and former product lines and dispensers were drained, capped, and abandoned in place. The site has been a truck stop and fueling station operated by Pilot Travel Centers before 1996 until 2010, when Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores took over ownership and operation. Previous to 1996, spills and leaks at the site polluted the soil and groundwater. In 2018, a fuel leak near the gas pumps led to increased levels of pollution in nearby groundwater. The most recent incident occurred in October 2023, when over 700 gallons of unleaded gasoline were accidentally spilled during tank maintenance. Not all of the spilled fuel was recovered, leading to additional pollution.
 
Early investigations in 1996 and 2010 identified pollution at the site but did not fully measure its extent. Monitoring wells were installed to check pollution levels in the groundwater over time. After the 2018 fuel leak, some emergency measures were taken to address the increased pollution. Following the 2023 spill, some of the spilled gasoline was recovered, but a complete cleanup did not occur. The full extent of pollution in soil and groundwater remains unknown, indicating a need for more detailed studies.

The main pollutants at the site are petroleum hydrocarbons, including gasoline and diesel fuels, which contain harmful chemicals like benzene. Benzene is a toxic substance found in gasoline that poses serious health risks.

Exposure to benzene can occur through breathing polluted air, touching polluted soil or water, or drinking polluted water. Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause dizziness, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Long-term exposure is linked to more serious health problems, including anemia and cancer.

These contaminants also pose environmental risks. Benzene and other petroleum pollutants can harm plants and animals by polluting soil and groundwater. They can move through the soil into groundwater, potentially affecting drinking water sources and ecosystems.