Bad gas: Fuel mix-up at Langdon, Alta. gas station results in repair bills for drivers
Dozens of drivers are expected to have been affected by an issue at a southern Alberta gas station, where diesel and regular gas was inadvertently added to the wrong storage tanks.
Travis Clarke was one of the affected drivers. He said he filled up at the Gas Plus station, at 708 Centre St. in Langdon, Alta., and then went on a trip to Medicine Hat and back, a distance of approximately 1,000 kilometres.
"It ran rough for the first trip and the second trip home it was sputtering, stalling, dying, spitting black stuff out of the exhaust," he said. "The oil pressure dropped, (so) I checked the oil and it was full of diesel."
Clarke said he reached out to Gas Plus, the owner of the station where he fuelled up, and was told they were out of office until Aug. 4.
"It's kind of frustrating that they're taking an extended long weekend while we're sitting at home with our long weekend plans cancelled," Clarke said.
The one thing Clarke wants, he said, is to have the company commit, in writing, to cover all costs associated with repairs for his family's sole vehicle.
"Out here, most of us have two or more vehicles to get to work in but, for us, it's the only vehicle we have that fits all of us."
COMPANY CONFIRMS FUEL PROBLEM
CTV News reached out to GP Fuels Inc., the company that operates the Gas Plus stations, and it said it apologized for the inconvenience the problem created for drivers that fuelled up at the Langdon location.
In a statement, it said a "mix of fuel," delivered on July 24, resulted in diesel being placed into the regular gas tank and regular gas added to the diesel tank by the distributor.
GP Fuels said it was certain that no one who bought regular gas at the location received pure diesel and no one who bought diesel received pure regular gas.
"If you purchased regular gas, you received approximately 80 per cent regular gas and 20 per cent diesel," the company said in a statement. "If diesel was purchased, you received approximately 60 per cent diesel and 40 per cent regular gas."
According to the statement, the issue may have affected anyone who bought mid-grade fuel, but those who purchased premium would have not had an issue.
It did not say how many drivers were affected, but confirmed that the issue was not discovered until July 27, a full three days after the delivery.
GP Fuels said it is also offering help to anyone whose vehicle was damaged because of the problem.
"We ask only those experiencing vehicle problems who purchased regular gas, mid-grade gas or diesel between 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, 2021 and 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 to email up at support@gpfuels.com with your contact information.
"We will be in contact with everyone in the coming days with more information on how to proceed and, in the meantime, ask you to retain your proof of fuel purchase and all receipts as all claims will be processed through insurance on a case-by-case basis."
As soon as the issue was discovered, GP Fuels said it "shut down the site immediately." All of the affected tanks were completely drained and refilled with the proper fuels.
The issue involving the gas pumps at the Langdon Gas Plus has since been resolved and drivers are filling up once again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.