The site of a northwest gas station which leaked between 7,000 and 9,000 litres of fuel into the ground, endangering the residents of the community, will see new life if the station’s owner has his way.
While the cleanup of the 2010 gas leak at the Gas Plus Station in Bowness has not been completed, the owner Sal Handel has submitted an application to the City of Calgary for a development permit to build another gas station on the same site in the 6300 block of Bowness Rd. N.W..
Following the leak, Alberta Environment ordered Handel to clean up the spill, a demand which, according to the province, fell on deaf ears. In the ensuing four years, the province says ‘Gas Plus displayed a continued unwillingness to undertake the appropriate remedial activities as required by the ministerial order’.
Three months ago, the province took over the site and the remediation.
Despite provincial intervention, a notice has surfaced indicating Handel has filed paperwork with the municipal office to erect another gas station on the site.
On Wednesday evening, concerned residents and business owners are expected to fill the Bowness Community Association during the organization’s meeting, to provide their take on Handel’s permit application.
Maureen and John Whitlock are among the Bownesians concerned by Handel’s application. The couple were forced out of their home during the 2010 gas leak and were displaced were more than eight months. The Whitlock home is situated across the alley from the former site of the Gas Plus.
“I’m disgusted because we just never in a million years thought this could happen,” said Maureen Whitlock. “We just couldn’t believe what we were reading. I had to check and check again.”
Consumer Watch reporter Lea Williams-Doherty contacted Alberta Environment and asked if the organization planned to block Handel’s permit application given the history of the property. A spokesperson said Alberta Environment does not have the authority to stop Handel and the future of the Bowness property rests in the hands of the City of Calgary.
City officials say consultations with provincial environmental experts will occur before the application is approved. Residents are reminded that anyone can apply for a development permit but that does not guarantee the submission will be approved.
In an email to CTV, Gas Plus says remediation of the site is a top priority.
“There has been a lack of communication with the community regarding the cleanup and we are taking steps to correct that.”
With files from CTV's Lea Williams-Doherty
