Brooklyn gas station identified as possible source of months-long gasoline odor, officials say

For months, residents across Southern Brooklyn have been reporting a persistent smell of gasoline, wondering where it was coming from and whether it posed a danger to their families.

Now, after a coordinated investigation involving city, state and federal agencies, officials say they've identified at least one source: a Mobil gas station at Coney Island and Guider avenues.

Diana, a lifelong Sheepshead Bay resident, initially thought the smell was isolated to her building. That changed as more neighbors began reporting similar experiences.

"I started to see people on Facebook posting about it," she said. "So it kind of took a while for us to even realize that it was affecting more than just half of my building."

To help document the problem, Diana created an online reporting tool that has collected more than 235 complaints in the past 30 days, with reports scattered across the surrounding neighborhoods.

"The complaints are all over the place. It was just to, you know, give the information to our elected officials on a platter so they can help us," she said.

During a recent walk through Sheepshead Bay, the smell was noticeable near a sewer grate in a municipal parking lot.

"Combustion was a concern, like when you don't know what's going on. We were nervous to light a stove at one point, you just kind of start to worry about these things," Diana said.

The odor has also been difficult to track. Residents say it can disappear within hours of being reported, making it harder for investigators to pinpoint its origin.

Maya Seyfer, a constituent liaison in Councilwoman Inna Vernikov's office, said the first complaints began arriving weeks ago.

"We started getting calls and emails around the first week of September," she said. "People had eyes tearing and they couldn't breathe."

Vernikov said her office brought multiple agencies together about two weeks ago, pressing for answers after months of complaints.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, which is leading the investigation, recently informed her office there's been a development.

"DEC advised us that they have identified a source of the leak," Vernikov told Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger. "A Mobil gas station on Coney Island and Guider Avenue. However, just a caveat there, that may not be the only source of the gas leak. They are still investigating."

A DEC spokesperson said in a statement that its "staff ensured the leak stopped and are currently working with the owner of the facility on product recovery."

The agency also issued Bolla EM Realty LLC a notice of violation on Oct. 30, alleging it failed to report the leak, provide records on time, empty the tank system and contain the spill.

The gas station owner did not respond to requests for comment by phone and email.

Meanwhile, concerns about the potential danger have lingered among residents. 

"FDNY assured us that there are no concerns in terms of inflammables. Nothing has exploded. They don't anticipate anything to be exploding," Vernikov said.

Residents who continue to smell gasoline are being advised to call 911.

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