A New Jersey gas station located at 1901 Admiral Wilson Boulevard in the City of Camden has been closed for the second time in two months after multiple motorists experienced breakdowns due to contaminated gas. The closure came after the City of Camden Division of Weights and Measures received several complaints regarding a possible fuel contamination issue.

According to city spokesperson Vincent Basara, the gasoline contamination is believed to be a result of heavy rainfall seeping into underground storage tanks. As many as 16 drivers have reported issues with their vehicles after fueling up at the station over the weekend.

The gas station was closed on Sunday by the city's division of Licenses and Inspections and will remain shut until all city, county, and state requirements are satisfied. This includes paying fines and passing additional inspections. There is no indication of an environmental hazard due to gas leakage from the fuel tanks, stated Basara on Tuesday.

Officials are now investigating how water entered the tanks, with suspicions raised about a faulty seal or cap contributing to the issue. Basara highlighted that the sump pumps designed to prevent water infiltration did not turn on during heavy rainfall on Saturday night. Moreover, audible and visual alarms meant to address such problems did not function correctly either.

Investigations are ongoing to determine if the pumps at the gas station were intentionally switched off during both incidents and why that may have occurred. Surveillance footage from the gas station will be reviewed to ascertain the cause of the pump system failure and aid in identifying individuals impacted by the contaminated fuel.

State records name Raghbir Singh as the owner of the gas station, with Rajvinder Ghotra listed as the operator. Efforts to reach the operator at his contact number were unsuccessful as of Tuesday. A spokesperson for the NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) stated that the department was notified about the contaminated fuel tanks after heavy rainfall and subsequently issued a "cease delivery" order until the issue is rectified.

This is the second time within two months that the same gas station has faced temporary closure due to water seeping into the fuel tanks. A letter from Camden's Superintendent of Weights and Measures, Judith Lugo, revealed that on January 10, numerous complaints were received regarding contaminated gas purchased from the location. The letter stated that 39 customers were affected, and independent testing showed high levels of water in the gasoline.

Ghotra, the gas station operator, was fined by the city and failed to appear in court on March 5 regarding the January 10 incident. A new court date has been scheduled for May 7. City officials emphasized that the gas station had not faced citations for similar issues before this year.

In the January incident, Ghotra received multiple summonses, including charges related to the lack of readily available registration certificates, deception in the sale of liquid fuels, failure to test, and failure to maintain a device in proper operating condition. For this incident, Ghotra was fined $25,000, but additional fines could be issued if water is found in fuel tank samples taken earlier this week.

Basara mentioned that gas stations are subject to annual inspections, but inspections will be more frequent following these recent violations. Authorities are determined to identify the cause of the fuel contamination issue and ensure that proper measures are put in place to prevent a recurrence in the future.