Florida officials: Some Citgo gasoline tainted with diesel

As Tropical Storm Idalia heads toward Florida, consumers may fill up on gasoline, but now there is an unpleasant complication. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says there was gasoline contamination caused by human error at the Port of Tampa that could impact cars' engines.

Gasoline purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 26, at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated, state officials say.

Florida officials say Citgo could update the list of stores (below). The state department will also update the list as necessary as of result of increased fuel testing in the impacted areas, according to a Sunday news release.

Contaminated gasoline has the potential of causing engine damage or affecting operability, the state department says. Impacted stations have been asked to stop selling gas until the contaminated fuel is replaced and tanks are cleaned. Once the stations are cleared or have completed a corrective action plan, fuel will once again be safe for purchase, state officials say.

If consumers purchased gas from affected stations after 10 a.m. Saturday, aug. 26, the Florida Department of Agriculture of Consumer services advises consumers that vehicles or generators may not properly function. The department has opened up a consumer hotline to receive complaints from impacted consumers, state officials say.

"If you believe you were sold contaminated gasoline, you can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or online at www.fdacs.gov," the state department says.

The department says it is coordinating with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. And FDEM is coordinating with petroleum retailers, ports and all additional stakeholders to ensure that the disruption won't be widespread, and that residents can have access to fuel.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has allowed FDEM to waive trucking's size, weight, and hour restrictions to get resources into the state as quickly and efficiently as possible, state officials say.

"Citgo has a contamination issue at its Tampa terminal that is affecting fuel sold at the following retail locations in the Tampa area," Citgo officials say. "Please be advised that Citgo is working with the locations to remove contaminated product from these locations. In the meantime, thank you for patience and understanding as we work to return these locations to normal operations. If, however, you have purchased fuel from one of these locations on or after Aug. 26, and are concerned your vehicle may be impacted, you can initiate a claim through the CITGO Good Gas Guarantee program."

The state department says residents can follow the division at FDACS on X, formerly known as Twitter, for updates on the issue.