Gulf Oil on Beach Street

There are fourteen gas stations across Cape Ann, including three in Manchester-by-the-Sea, seven in Gloucester, two in Rockport, and two in Essex.

The Gulf Oil station is located on Beach Street in downtown Manchester-by-the-Sea and is directly adjacent to Route 127, a key evacuation route. The station is also adjacent to the town’s only grocery store, which supports emergency shelters, as well as the Town Hall, which houses Emergency Operations, the Policy and Fire Departments, and an exposed emergency generator.¹ This cluster of critical infrastructure — which coexists with the town’s economic center — is vulnerable to sea level rise as well as both coastal and inland flooding.

The underground gas tanks at the station were replaced in 2008 when a leak was discovered. Though the contaminated soil was removed, the site is monitored for continued contamination.²

The gas station is particularly vulnerable to the Great Storm due to its low elevation and proximity to the Inner Harbor and Central Street Pond. If the tidal gate and culvert at Central Pond are breached, storm surge may back up into Sawmill Brook, combining with inland riverine flooding. Any petrochemicals that leach from the station in the event of a storm or other flooding event will be carried into Manchester’s Inner Harbor and Central Pond, exacerbating the effects of the contamination. While residents may not have access to critical emergency gasoline during the storm, contaminated soils in the central business district will slow cleanup efforts after the storm.³