Healthy Air Oregon Campaign - Don't Top Off!

Each time a car is topped off, the space at the top of the tank that contains harmful fumes is filled with gasoline and the fumes are pushed into the air. Those fumes contain benzene, which has been linked to cancer and more specifically leukemia. There is no evidence that a safe level of exposure to benzene is possible. Any exposure is a danger!

What You Can Do to Reduce Benzene Emissions

Support ther new law in Oregon! As of July 1st, 2009, the next time you buy gasoline, the gas station attendant won't be topping off your gas tank. That's good news for our health and our pocketbook! Topping off your gas tank is a habit that contributes to air pollution problems. It also poses health risks by exposing you and others to the fumes that escape from an overfilled gas tank. And it's a bad idea from the consumer point of view. Most of the gasoline that's added as topped off gas evaporates and is not used by your car as fuel. It also adds pressure to your gas tank system that could lead to costly damage to your vehicle.

Let’s protect our health and our local air quality!

What's at Stake? Our health and the health of those we love. Studies show that children who are repeatedly exposed to benzene have a higher incidence of leukemia. Leukemia is the most common cancer in Oregon among children. Benzene is a known carcinogen.

So the next time you think of topping-off, consider this:

• Vapors released when topping-off are harmful to public health and pose a special risk to gas station attendants who are exposed to these fumes constantly during work.
• Gas fumes also contribute to the formation of harmful ozone and smog that cause poor air quality in Lane County.
• Topping off can cause gasoline to spill out of the tank and harm your car’s paint surface. You just paid for that gas you're not even going to use.
• You need extra room in your gas tank to allow gas to expand. Topping off can foul up your system and cause your car to run poorly and emit more pollutants.

Many individuals making small changes, like not topping off, can have a positive impact on air quality. Other simple things you can do to reduce health risks are: refueling without children in the car, refueling in the cooler evenings, not idling your vehicle and combining errands into a single trip. It all adds up to cleaner air!

See a video interview with Ed Meza, owner of Swedish Engineering about the damage to your car that can result from "topping off."