TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A local mall is using an aggressive strategy to get a gas station to stop a leak that the mall says is contaminating its property and contributing to a pause in construction of a new mall in its place.
Tuesday, management at the Titusville Mall used heavy construction equipment to build a barricade of dirt, gravel, and culvert pipes between its parking lot and a Cumberland Farms.
General manager Mark Frank told your Titusville Community Correspondent James Sparvero the leaks have been coming from the gas station for 40 years.
“For four years, we have been trying to get them to clean up their leaks and spills that have been going on for decades,” Frank said. “We figured, finally, we’re gonna get their attention by blocking two of their entrances to our property.”
A bulldozer dumped the dirt, and then another construction vehicle laid down the culvert pipes.
Private security looked on from the Cumberland Farms’ side of a red line in the road to be sure nothing was dumped on the gas station’s property.
“We’re doing something,” Frank said. “I don’t believe it’s petty. I actually think it’s pretty clever.”
Frank said contamination from the leaks is part of the reason why constructing a new mall on the property has been put on hold.
In 2022, the city approved the modern shopping development that includes restaurants, apartments, a hotel, and a living facility for seniors.
Now, Frank’s hoping the city hears his complaints.
“I mean, we have a lot of money riding on getting this mall complete,” he said.
Employees at Cumberland Farms didn’t want to be a part of this story.
A spokesperson from EG America, which runs the Cumberland Farms station, denied there were any leaks on the property.
You can read the full statement below.
“There is no ongoing leak at the Cumberland Farms property. The discharge from underground storage tanks (USTs) was identified in 2004 during the installation of new tanks. At that time, the Company replaced the system and implemented state-of-the-art monitoring technology. The current system remains in full compliance with all regulatory requirements.
“The only remaining impact from the historic release is limited to groundwater in a small portion of the mall property near the Cumberland Farms store. Cumberland Farms continues to work closely with the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Division and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to complete the required environmental monitoring and remediation. We expect to achieve regulatory closure related to this historic matter within the next few months.
“The Company has no comment regarding the mall owner’s decision to block access from the mall property to the Cumberland Farms site.”