Gas from Tahoe Tom's leaking into nearby drinking water well

With a $412,900 fine from previous violations in 2007 still outstanding, Tahoe Tom's Gasoline Station in South Lake Tahoe is once again in trouble with the Lahontan Regional Water Board.

Recent water samples from a drinking well at a Stateline area motel near Tahoe Tom's have revealed the presence of the contaminant MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) at concentrations above the drinking water standard for taste and odor. The detection in MTBE from the well have been increasing during the past year, probably as a result of drought conditions lowering the water table.

Since 1991, the gas station has had issues, resulting in the leaking of petroleum products from underground storage tanks and dispensers according to Lahontan. In 2007 the station failed to comply with a Cleanup and Abatement Order. The owners didn't respond so in 2009 Lahontan Regional Board imposed $412,000 in civil liability.

Mohammad Ahmad and the Thomas E Erickson Trust were the owners of the station when the orders were previously issued which called for them to remediate contamination and reduce the threat to nearby drinking water wells.

The fine was never paid.

The new orders have strict remedial requirements and deadlines that the new owner of the site, Lake Tahoe Investments, Inc must abide by. They are required to operate a remediation system on the gas station property and off-site remediation where needed. They also must collect water samples from the motel well and other nearby water supply wells quarterly. If MTBE or other petroleum hydrocarbons are detected above the primary drinking water standard of 13 parts per billion, the responsible parties must provide an alternate water supply to the affected well owner(s). To date, MTBE or other hydrocarbons have not been detected in other water supply wells.

A search of California and Nevada corporations and City of South Lake Tahoe businesses found no active businesses by that name.

“It is imperative that all water supply wells be protected, whether they are municipal wells providing water to thousands of customers or motel wells providing water to dozens of customers,” said Patty Kouyoumdjian, Executive Officer of the Lahontan Water Board,