Gas Pumps at Lander Maverik Closed Amid Fuel Spill Into Popo Agie
The gasoline pumps at a Maverik Convenience store in Lander were deactivated over the weekend amid an ongoing petroleum product leak into the adjacent Popo Agie River. The store portion of the business is still open, however.
Last week, Lander police and firefighters were called after a citizen reported the smell of gasoline coming from the river near South Main Street. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality have since responded.
EPA On-Scene Coordinator Craig Myers said Friday crews have placed booms in the river and the spill is mostly contained. Myers said the substance is a refined petroleum product, possibly gasoline.
Officials couldn't confirm the source of the contamination, which is leaking into the river bed. Calls to the DEQ and EPA have not yet been returned.