Abandoned gas station sites are a common blight, particularly in urban areas. An EPA survey of Illinois mayors identified gas stations as the most predominant type of vacant or abandoned property (reported by nearly 71 percent of responding mayors). (Northeast Midwest 2002) In this study I asked: 1) What is the extent of the abandoned gas station problem? 2) What are best practices for addressing former gas station sites? 3) How is New Jersey, the most urban and densely populated state, addressing the problem of abandoned gas stations? 4) What are the economic, social, and environmental impacts of these sites? I answered these by interviewing officials engaged in the remediation and redevelopment of these sites, to catalogue the best practices nationwide and the current understanding of the extent of the problem. I next developed historical gas station inventories in three New Jersey cities, and collected information regarding their location, environmental status, reuse, ownership, taxes, and demographics. I then reviewed environmental reports for three specific gas station sites to obtain information on the extent of contamination and the cost to remediate. Officials were divided on how well they believed the threat of former gas station sites was understood. However, the city-wide case studies make it clear that only a fraction of former gas station sites were known to environmental officials. The data indicate that most former gas stations closed prior to the 1986 reporting deadline, and that most of these lack environmental records. Economically disadvantaged communities host the majority of former gas station sites with no environmental records. Further, their current use is typically still auto-dependent or as vacant property. However, those sites that are redeveloped are able to contribute jobs, services, and tax revenue to their communities. The extent of contamination and the remediation costs to address the contamination varies widely. This study shows that many former gas stations remain a threat. Shifting public policies and resources to better address these sites would have significant positive impacts on the distressed neighborhoods.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Planning and Public Policy
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_4556
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
vi, 266 p. : ill., maps
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Leah Beth Benedict Yasenchak
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Service stations--Environmental aspects--New Jersey
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
AssociatedObject
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.