Mariano's gas station plan stalled in Lake Zurich pending further tests

The question of whether adding a gas station to the Mariano's grocery story at 1300 East Route 22 in Lake Zurich would endanger the local water supply led the village board to delay a vote and ask for more expert advice.

The plan is part of a nationwide effort by officials of Kroger Co., the parent company of Mariano's, to add gas stations to grocery stores. If the plan were approved in Lake Zurich, the new station would have five gas pumps, plus a small convenience store operated by Mariano's employees. Customers would receive a 10-cent discount on gas for every $100 they spent in the grocery store.

Nearby resident Tim Henry said he was concerned because the plan calls for the station's underground fuel tanks to be built near the aquifer his well taps.

"Should this project get the green light and my water become tainted, will any entity accept liability and make me whole?" Henry asked the board at its meeting Monday night. "I just want to have water that I can drink."

A representative for Mariano's conceded that while underground fuel tanks have leaked before, the technology for preventing leaks keeps getting better.

Village Trustee Marc Spacone said he was interested in hearing how much it would cost to have Henry's home hooked up to the village's water system and whether Mariano's would pay for that. He suggested the board hold off on voting until a new engineer could be brought in to study the effect the underground fuel tanks might have on Henry's aquifer.

"Let's get the answers that we need so that we can make a better informed decision rather than rush into a decision because it's on our agenda right now," Spacone said. "We're going to make sure we do right by everybody."

Mayor Tom Poynton said the plan could be back before the board on May 6, if Mariano's found a new engineer by that time.