Illegal 'floating petrol station' discovered at La Manga boat hire business

Guardia Civil officers seize more than 1,000 litres of petrol after finding fuel stored in a van, garage and floating chest without the required licence

A La Manga boat and jet ski hire business has been caught storing more than 1,000 litres of petrol and using it to refuel its fleet without the necessary licence.

The Guardia Civil discovered the fuel during an investigation into the company, which operates from La Manga del Mar Menor in San Javier.

Officers from the Guardia Civil Fiscal and Border Patrol in Cabo de Palos began looking into the business after receiving information that large quantities of fuel could be being stored without the required controls.

During their surveillance, they saw boats and jet skis being refuelled manually at the pontoon rather than being taken to a petrol station.

When officers inspected the business, they found fuel being kept in several different places.
Numerous petrol containers were found inside a van parked next to the dock, while larger containers had been stored in a nearby garage.

But perhaps the most unusual discovery was what the Guardia Civil described as a kind of 'floating petrol station'.

A fuel-filled chest had been positioned in the floating section of the pontoon, allowing the company's boats and jet skis to be refuelled directly at the marina. Some of the containers were fitted with hoses, filling nozzles and pistol-style pumps for transferring the petrol into the vessels.

The arrangement meant the rental fleet could be refuelled on site instead of having to make trips to a petrol station.

The inspection also found that the business owner did not have a licence from the Directorate General of Industry and Mines authorising the storage of the fuel or the refuelling of the boats.

There was another problem too. The premises did not have the required fire safety system for this type of fuel storage.

Storing large quantities of petrol close to the water and refuelling boats from an improvised setup creates a serious fire risk. Petrol vapour is highly flammable, so a spill, leak or ignition source during refuelling could potentially result in a rapidly spreading fire, particularly in a busy marina where other boats are moored nearby.

 A fire involving fuel could also put people on the pontoon and in the water at risk, while a significant spill could pollute the Mar Menor.

The owner has now been reported for alleged breaches of Spain's Industry Law and the Integrated Environmental Protection Law.

The case comes as La Manga and the Mar Menor are in the middle of the busy summer season, with boat and jet ski hire particularly popular during August.

Images: Guardia Civil