What's the Story With...?

Have you ever wondered what’s going on with the empty lot at D Street and Petaluma Boulevard South?

Me too.

The parcel at the southeast corner of that intersection is a former Unocal gas station, open from 1969 to 1991, and is now being “remediated” by Chevron, which acquired Unocal in 2005.

It’s one of more than 30 sites downtown that have a history of contamination, a legacy of gas stations, auto repair shops and other service-oriented businesses that were located near the river.

(The river being seen as a convenient place to dispose of waste back in the day.)

Click here to see all Petaluma sites with a history of contamination

As is common for gas stations, the Unocal station at 201 Petaluma Boulevard South, had a large underground storage tank that leaked, contaminating groundwater, according to the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.

The agency identified a leak from the tank in 1992, but it would take nearly two more decades before clean up started.

In 2011, Chevron installed oxygen emitters onto the site, which as the name suggests, release oxygen into the soil, promoting growth of new micro-organisms and speeds up cleanup.

The company also installed five monitoring wells that will stay in place until the end of this year. After that, Sonoma County will test the soil to determine if the chemicals have been adequately removed.

All of which explains why this prime piece of real estate in downtown Petaluma hasn't been built up yet. 

Curious about another local site with a history of contamination? Drop us a line and we’ll look into it for you.

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