Definition of a Typical Service Station

The Redevelopment Framework for Former Service Stations in the Province of Ontario has been designed as a guidance tool for what can be described as a "typical" service station. It is estimated that in Ontario, approximately 80 per cent of all underutilized and abandoned service stations requiring remediation and redevelopment can be characterized as "typical".

A typical service station has the following characteristics:

• Contamination Source:

  • Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)
  • Distribution piping and dispensing systems
  • Waste Oil Tanks
  
  

• Main Contaminants of Concern (COCs):

  • Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHC)
  • Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX)
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  
  

• Site Size and Location:

  • Small footprint (less than 2,000 tonnes of impacted soil)
  • Adjacent to major roadways, intersections and other service stations
  
  

• Soil Conditions:

  • On-site soil, weathered (soil-like) bedrock and groundwater impacted with COCs
  • Minor free phase product
  • Soil vapour intrusion potential
  • Offsite migration of COCs to utility corridors and right-of-ways
  
  

• Additional Contaminants:
  * May be found at service stations in levels below generic site condition standards

  • Methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE); Diisopropyl ether (DIPE)
  • Metals (e.g. Lead) and Lead Scavengers (1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane)
  • Chlorinated Solvents
  
  

Situations not considered "typical" for service stations in Ontario, may include the following:

• Site Characteristics:

  • Potential for recontamination due to migration from an offsite source
  • Complex hydrogeology (e.g., multiple groundwater levels)
  • Contamination in competent fractured bedrock