Q: Why Don't Gas Stations Have Gasoline-Fueled Electrical Generators On Hand?

[Glassunion]

174. By "ready made excuse" do you mean federal, state and local laws and regulations?

Just because it is an emergency does not mean you can throw caution to the wind and do whatever the heck you want.

1. It is illegal to manually pump gas from a storage tank to dispense to customers.
2. It is illegal to operate a gas station without a leak detection system in operation.

"Any underground storage tank system regulated pursuant to N.J.S.A. 58:10A-21 et seq. and 42 U.S.C. §§ 6991 et seq. that cannot apply a method of release detection that complies with the requirements of this subchapter shall complete the closure procedures in N.J.A.C. 7:14B-9"

If you have issue with either 1 or 2 take it up with the state legislature.

In 2006, NJ specifically wrote into law that all existing and new construction fuel sites be equipped with a transfer switch. This was specifically for the use of portable generators to be used in case of a state of emergency so that the emergency services and people of the community will be able to obtain gasoline in a power event such as we are experiencing now. They did not say that we had to have hand or syphon pumps, because that would violate the law. They specifically stated in the law that we have the ability to operate the site on backup power.