OfReg shuts down sales at North Side gas station
(CNS): The utility regulator has shut down the sales of fuel at Jack’s Esso II in North Side over its failure to comply with an environmental data request. The suspension of fuel operations came into effect Monday, OfReg officials said, because of the absence of essential data to allow the regulator to assess conditions at the site.
It isn’t clear from the press release whether or not OfReg suspects a leak at the station that might be damaging the environment. But without the information about the gas station tanks, the technicians are unable to find out.
“Despite prior communication and the issuance of a remedial notice, the operator of Jack’s Esso II has not provided the necessary data crucial for the regulator’s environmental assessment,” OfReg stated.
The decision to cease the fuelling operations at the district station was made under OfReg’s mandatory responsibility and commitment to uphold environmental regulations and safeguard public health.
“As the regulator for the fuels sector, OfReg has a legal obligation and duty of care to hold operators to account for complying with the terms of their licences and in this case, protecting the environment and safeguarding public health,” the regulator explainned. “OfReg is committed to upholding environmental regulations and this case also highlights the necessity for all operators to comply with regulatory requests promptly.”
The gas station is the only fuel station east of Bodden Town servicing residents and visitors in both the district of North Side and East End.
OfReg said it was actively working with the operator to resolve the compliance issues to resume fuelling operations as soon as possible. But the regulator said the site will remain closed for the sale of fuels until further notice.
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Category: Local News
The only remarkable part of this story is that OfReg are now willing to name and shame an offending station without a decoding machine. Consumers of Cayman have been getting hosed for over a decade. Regular Unleaded sold for $0.20 more a gallon as Premium Unleaded, when it’s literally independently testing as the same concoction as the adjacent pump. No arrests.
what about the gas station really close to the sea in Watering Place , cayman brac?
wonder if the owner being strong supporter of one MP has anything to do with it still being allowed to sell from an above ground tank – underground tank was leaking
Check out the management of Rubis there, before you make wild claims. Proximity to the sea makes less of a difference than the testing of the integrity of the underground tank. This may well be the best maintained and most tested tank in the Cayman Islands.
I urge you to look into it.
Agree that the WP Rubis in the Brac is very well run and maintained but from what historical testing I’ve seen Jose’s Esso (Rubis) is the squeakiest in the land or at least when Jose owned it.
How about OfReg focus their energy on why we are paying astronomical prices for gas. I don’t say this to minimize the issue in the article but shutting down a gas station only adds to the cost of living, especially for persons who use this gas station. OfReg, can you undertake to provide us with some meaningful answers as to why our gas is almost triple our neighboring countries????
If they had monitoring wells around the underground storage tanks this might be an easy exercise to determine a go/no go for their operation and scope of remedial action. But again since they were grandfathered in long ago by WAC no such monitoring wells exist.
And of course the station doesn’t have the necessary leak detection systems in place nor do they practice daily tank gauging or have accurate records for fuel balance. Thank OfReg for that.
Third world
Agree. No vadose zone testing, no interstitial testing in the O-C tank walls. These were standards enforced in the U.S. in the mid-80’s.
Monitoring wells. Why don’t we have them? Wul, they cost a lot, and somebody has to maintain and monitor the wells, and send samples off for processing, and dang if that isn’t a big, big imposition on the local businesses which just want to sell fuel and to hell with the environmental impact.
Of course, if we want $9.75/gal fuel, we will promulgate these sensible monitoring measures …. because all costs, even those anticipated are merrily passed on to the consumer with the government’s blessing.
Same as it ever was.
Same as it ever was.
It would be curious to see OfReg’s environmental data documents to see how user-friendly they are for small mom n pop operations.
Yes, gas retailers must follow regs but user-friendly processes are required too.
Didn’t Government’s Statistics Office have to scrape a lot of egg off their faces in a recent Court case? Docs too complicated for John Public to process.
Now if OFFREG could focus on finding out why the remaining gas stations have their prices so high despite the cost of oil reduction in other countries. Namely the US. I am tired of being shafted by ridiculous prices.
Removing the 60% caymanian ownership rules would do more for prices on this island than any hackneyed regulator. But if not continue to enjoy prices controlled by your favorite family names.
Yes because all of the businesses owned and ran by expatriates are offering reasonable prices. Dimwit.
It’s not the station owners, it’s the fuel distributors that is the problem.
Wha family da owner?
exactly
And the representative from North Side remains silent.
Signed,
Resident of Frank Sound
What exactly should he say?
Also… when was his response expected considering this JUST happened this afternoon and he was in the house debating a motion of no confidence?!!!
its the next day now, still no response
something, it is the only gas station in his district
He’s a bit distracted negotiating his position in the next government.
next government? how about trough
He doesn’t have one.