Tests shed light on Broadway fuel leak mystery in Burlingame

Previously, Environmental Health Services named A&A Gas Inc. and Mash Petroleum Inc., the fuel services operator and owner at A&A Gas & Mart, respectively, as responsible parties in their investigation. 

A&A Gas & Mart, located at 1100 Broadway, is near the encroached-upon vaults, however, naming its owner and operator as a responsible party does not confirm they are the source of the fuel contamination, the county said previously. 

An early theory was that the fuel was from an old leak, but testing was needed to verify. Now, test results have confirmed that the gasoline found at the site is “more typical of gasoline available for purchase rather than from deteriorated fuel subjected to degradation processes in the environment,” according to a statement from Charles Ice, San Mateo County Environmental Health Services deputy director. 

“In the absence of other information, the responsibility for the contamination lies with A&A Gas and Mash Petroleum,” he said. “If further information becomes available, other owner/operators may be named as Responsible Parties.” 

Aaron Khamosh and Abe Khamosh of A&A Gas Inc., who were named in a Jan. 13 letter naming their entity as a responsible party, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In the beginning of the county’s investigation, environmental health was looking to determine whether the gasoline leak was historical in nature, Preston Merchant, San Mateo County Health communications officer, said previously. In the late 1980s to 1990s, there were three active cases of fuel leaks in the area. 

In 1986, a leaking underground fuel system was reported at 1100 Broadway, then the Gasco Service station, Merchant said via email. The area was excavated and pumped and free product was removed, according to State Water Resources Control Board documents, and the case was closed in 2002. 

In 1990, a leaking underground fuel system was also reported at 1101 Broadway, a nearby Chevron station, according to Merchant. The area was excavated and pumped, according to State Water Resources Control Board documents, and the case was closed in 2005. 

Finally, in 1993, issues were also reported with an underground fuel and waste oil tank at what was then Biscay Auto Repair at 1215 California Drive, which is now Goodwill, Merchant said. The case was closed in 2000, according to State Water Resources Control Board documents, with no remedial action entered. 

Moving forward with A&A Gas and Mash Petroleum as responsible parties does not mean the county will be enforcing on the violation as long as the fuel contamination is assessed, and if needed, remediated, Ice’s statement said. 

“Environmental Health Services appreciates working cooperatively with all Responsible Parties to assess and, if needed, remediate the fuel contamination to prevent negative impacts to human health and the environment,” the statement said.