Pennzoil Removing Most Above-Ground Storage Tanks on Grand Street

Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. has started removing most of the above-ground storage tanks at its Pennzoil distribution center at 2015 Grand St., the Alameda city manager's office announced today (Thursday) in response to a question from Alameda Patch.

Thirty-six of the 48 tanks and a small storage building will be removed, the city press release said.

The tanks were the subject of a small flurry of comments on the Alameda section of the SeeClickFix.com website earlier this year.

"These oil storage tanks are rusting badly and are directly across from single family homes," wrote the anonymous user who first reported the issue to the via SeeClickFix.

"The planning department indicated to me that this area has been rezoned as residential and Pennzoil was grandfathered in, but it seems they should be required to maintain their storage tanks properly," the user wrote.

The Pennzoil facility is east of Clement Avenue, near Alameda Municipal Power headquarters and the Alameda Animal Shelter.

Not everyone agrees the tanks are unsightly.

"I feel like this is a landmark," one observer of the demolition work told Alameda Patch.

According to the city statement, Pennzoil worked with community members and city staff before starting the demolition process.

Removal of the tanks is expected to take through the end of the year, the city statement said. Area residents should expect increased truck traffic, heavy equipment on the Pennzoil property and temporary fencing of the site until removal is completed.

The removal work is being performed by ERM, a Pennzoil contractor, the city manager's office reports.

For additional information about the project, contact Dave Scrivener of ERM at (925) 946-0455.

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