Petaluma, Calif., recently banned the construction of new gas stations within the city limits.
The city totals less than 15 square miles and has 16 gas stations. A new law caps the number of stations at 16, even if some go out of business, and prohibits existing facilities from adding additional pumps.
The ban comes as the number of gas stations nationwide is steadily declining, with big retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and Safeway adding gas fueling services at their stores. Some smaller stations have gone out of business as a result, and when that happens it creates an environmental problem.
Defunct businesses cannot pay for the removal of underground fuel storage tanks and environmental remediation of leaks. That means the properties cannot be redeveloped until such remediation is performed.
California will ban new gas car sales in 2035, so Petaluma’s action may spark a trend in the Golden State.
Related Stories
| Mar 15, 2012
ANSI approves new fall protection standards
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved two American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) standards addressing fall protection.
| Mar 8, 2012
Engineering innovation provides new option for meeting seismic codes in skyscrapers
Two University of Toronto engineers have developed “viscoelastic-energy-dissipating dampers” to replace many of the heavy concrete beams used in tall structures.
| Mar 8, 2012
CSI webinar on building code compliance March 22
A March 22 webinar will provide an overview of a 28-step process during the design of a building to ensure compliance with building codes.
| Mar 8, 2012
Federal silica dust rule caught in bureaucratic limbo
A federal rule meant to protect the lungs of workers has been caught in bureaucratic purgatory for more than a year.
| Mar 8, 2012
New LEED-EBOM rating has requirements for specific project types
Several key changes are proposed for the LEED-EBOM Rating System in 2012.
| Mar 8, 2012
Green buildings more resilient than conventionally built structures
A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning suggests that structures built to green standards can advance building resiliency.
| Mar 1, 2012
LEED Platinum standard likely to mean net-zero energy by 2018
As LEED standards continue to rise, the top level, LEED Platinum, will likely mean net-zero energy construction by 2018.
| Mar 1, 2012
EPA beefs up stormwater discharge rule from construction projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now finalized its 2012 construction general permit (CGP) that authorizes stormwater discharges from construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land in the areas where EPA is the permitting authority.