There's no shortage of gas stations in East Hartford, so the town is temporarily capping the number at 18.
That's so they can look at the environmental impacts they have on the area and development.
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WATCH HERE“If you turn any corner there's a gas station,” said Gregory Williams, of East Hartford.
It’s hard to miss the 18 gas stations that exist in the 18 square miles of the town.
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SIGN UP “We don't want to be known as a community that just has gas stations,” said East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin.
The town is pausing new zoning applications for gas stations to look at the environmental impact they could have and their impact on future development.
"We don't want to hurt small businesses. We don't want to prevent economic development. We just want to make sure that as new, gas station developments come in, they're not harming the environment, they're not hindering development,” said Martin.
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Martin says two gas stations have been added recently, but some property development has been hindered over the years due to soil and brownfield remediation.
In general, experts say pumps create vapors from the gas itself, which can pollute the air. That’s a problem Connecticut already has. Other concerns come from the underground tanks.
"Sometimes, despite the best efforts, things happen and some of those compounds can get into the soil,” said Robert Hansen, an associate professor of chemistry at Quinnipiac University.
The concerns are similar for abandoned properties.
"If the tank was not, capped or contained properly, there may be some residual emissions,” said Hansen. “There may be some, leakage into groundwater.”
East Hartford’s moratorium would last at least 18 months.
