BP Contamination Leaves Albany Highway Site in Long-Term Limbo
So, there’s a major issue unfolding along Albany Highway in Bentley, and it’s all centred around a long-abandoned petrol station that has slowly become an eyesore — and now, a legal battleground. The site at 1156 Albany Highway, right next to Bentley Plaza, has been sitting empty since April 2021, when BP packed up and left. But what has stayed behind, according to both the owner and environmental authorities, is contamination that has gone unresolved for years.
If you’ve driven past the site, you’ve probably noticed the bold warning signs. One is a flashing message telling people not to enter because the land is “toxic, polluted by BP.” Large red banners make the same point, loudly and publicly. These signs were put up by the property owner, Mahomed Ahmed Badat, who has held the site since 2006. He took the matter to the Contamination Sites Committee in 2021, asking for clarity on who should clean up the mess. The committee’s decision was straightforward: BP was found to be 100 percent responsible for the contamination and therefore required to remediate the land.
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The background, according to the committee’s report, is extensive. BP redeveloped and operated the service station from 1987 until 2021, complete with underground fuel tanks, dispensers, a parts wash area and even a waste oil tank. Over the years, petroleum hydrocarbons seeped into the soil and groundwater beneath the site. BP acknowledged that its decades of operations had caused the contamination. They also stated that some remediation had been done — soil excavation in 2000, tank removals in 2020, and bioremediation works through early 2021 — but residual contamination still remains.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation classifies the property as “contaminated – remediation required,” meaning that, even after previous clean-up attempts, hydrocarbon levels are still too high. Groundwater and soil monitoring have been carried out, and an independent audit in 2023 reviewed the work completed so far. But the department says more investigation is still needed to confirm whether the remediation has been effective in the long run.
Meanwhile, the City of Canning has been watching from the sidelines, with Mayor Patrick Hall describing the empty station as an “eyesore” and urging all parties to come together to resolve the ongoing problem. Residents agree — many have taken to social media demanding action and warning about the dangers of toxic vapours and contaminated groundwater.
The dispute has now escalated to the courts, with BP declining to comment while legal proceedings are underway. A directions hearing is scheduled in the Supreme Court on December 15. For now, the site remains fenced off, covered in warnings, and stuck in a frustrating limbo — a prime block with huge potential, overshadowed by contamination that still needs to be addressed.
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