• Citgo has closed 950 out of approximately 1,550 claims related to fuel contamination in Florida.
• The fuel manufacturer disbursed more than $447,000 for repairs and reimbursements to affected individuals.
• The contamination incident, caused by human error at the Port of Tampa, impacted 29 Citgo-supplied gas stations in Southwest Florida, leading to a halt in fuel sales at those locations.

Fuel manufacturer Citgo has closed 950 claims in Florida and disbursed more than $447,000 for repairs and reimbursements following an identified fuel contamination incident last month.

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Citgo received information from approximately 1,550 consumers with potential claims and has closed 950 of them.

The fuel provider also paid out more than $447,000 in total repairs and reimbursements to affected individuals. Moreover, all potentially impacted stations have received clearance to reopen full fuel sales operations.

In late August, the Department of Agriculture announced that it had identified potentially widespread fuel contamination caused by human error at the Port of Tampa that impacted gas stations in the Tampa Bay area supplied by Citgo.

Upon outreach, however, the Port of Tampa Bay elucidated that while it is not directly affiliated with Citgo, which does not act under the purview of the port’s authority, it received affirmation that its partners will be able to handle gas delivery in the hours leading up to Hurricane Idalia’s landfall, which was projected to move over Florida in the days following the fuel incident.

“The port has been in contact with our five partner fuel terminal operators and have been assured they are prepared to deliver fuel and support consumers as Hurricane Idalia approaches and moves through our region,” the port’s Director of Communications said in an email.

Two days later on August 29, Citgo’s press contact Kate Robbins told The Capitolist in a statement that a limited number of retail stores were impacted by the contamination. This was later confirmed by the state to be 29 locations in Southwest Florida, which were subsequently ordered to halt fuel sales.

“Citgo discovered contaminated product at its Tampa, Fla. terminal as a result of a product routing issue at the terminal and immediately shut down the rack,” the statement read. “All Citgo Marketers who lifted gasoline and diesel from the terminal … were notified and asked to stop sales. A limited number of retail locations are affected, and Citgo is currently coordinating efforts to remove the product from the retail locations that received it.”