Driver pays for gas, speeds off with pump still attached and returns to scene of massive fuel spill
In Japan, an elderly woman causes a major fuel spill and hose break at a gas station due to a moment of distraction.
Everyone makes mistakes, but some are more dramatic than others. An elderly woman in the Japanese city of Wakkanai, located in Hokkaidō Prefecture, had just finished refueling her car when she drove off with the nozzle still inserted. As a result, she caused a spill of a little more than 13 gallons of gasoline. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. at a self-service gas station near the town.
An employee quickly noticed what had happened and called the fire department, which promptly arrived and began cleaning up the mess. Fortunately, the spilled fuel wasn’t wasted. The station was equipped with an underground tank connected to its drainage system, allowing the fuel to be recovered, treated, and reused.
As a result, the only reported damages were the broken hose and its nozzle. Just minutes after the incident, the woman returned to the station to apologize and offered to help cover the cost of the damage, according to local Japanese media.
An accident that could have been an environmental disaster
This accidental episode raises an important question: how can gas stations prevent such accidents from causing serious environmental damage? The answer, as demonstrated here, lies underground — in the drainage and underground fuel storage systems.
These systems are specifically designed to capture and contain fuels and hazardous liquids like gasoline, preventing them from seeping into the ground or reaching water sources. In Wakkanai’s case, the roughly 13 gallons of spilled gasoline were channeled through the station’s drainage system into a containment tank, avoiding any environmental contamination.
These underground tanks — known as USTs (Underground Storage Tanks) — are typically made from corrosion-resistant materials such as fiberglass or coated steel, and many feature double-walled safety systems. They also include sensors and automated leak detection systems capable of sending alerts at the first sign of a problem.
In addition to the tanks, modern gas stations are equipped with channels, grates, and hydrocarbon separators that direct spilled liquids into the proper containment systems, keeping them out of the storm drains and public sewer lines. In countries like Japan, these systems are subject to strict industrial and environmental regulations and undergo regular inspections to ensure their functionality.
The importance of such systems cannot be overstated: just one quarter gallon of gasoline can contaminate up to 265,000 gallons of water. That makes these containment mechanisms a vital line of environmental defense at every gas station. So while the Wakkanai incident had the potential to become a serious hazard, the station’s design and preparedness ensured that everything was brought under control within minutes — preventing harm to the environment or the local community.
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