According to information released during a recent meeting of the DeKalb County EMA, over the last six months, approximately 40,000 gallons of gasoline has leaked from the tanks at a Ft Payne convenience store.  The Xtreme Express convenience store on Gault Avenue North across from the Dollar General store has been closed for maintenance, and that missing fuel kept adding up over time.

DeKalb County EMA Director Anthony Clifton says approximately 10,000 gallons have been retrieved but that leaves some 30,000 gallons still unaccounted for; he stated that there are several possible explanations, including that it may have run harmlessly through the sewer system, which runs about a million gallons a day.  Another option is, with porous limestone, there could be an underground cave filled with gasoline, or it could be in a pocket just a few feet underground.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management is looking into the situation while the tanks have already been repaired.

We’ll continue to follow this story and bring you any new developments as that information is made available.

(Southern Torch/www.southerntorch.com)