These conditions not only impact the surrounding residents and businesses, they also deter potential investors, and in many cases may act as an attractive nuisance, leading to additional dumping or vagrancy.

The DEQ is working with local units of government and the Michigan Land Bank to identify eligible abandoned gas station sites and find resources to fund their assessment and cleanup.  Additionally, the DEQ's Site Evaluation Unit has conducted several assessments of LUST sites and continues to evaluate tax reverted properties that are eligible for future assessments.

The DEQ has performed hundreds of state-funded cleanups at abandoned petroleum sites in Michigan.  In addition funding has been utilized from the U.S. EPA Brownfield and USTfield grant programs. Click here to view the Detroit USTfield Assessment project, or here for the Rural Michigan Petroleum Brownfield Assessment project.  The most recent brownfield grants received were for cleanup at two former gas stations in Detroit which were successfully completed.  The DEQ is continuing to work with local units of government on the ultimate redevelopment of these sites.