The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released a draft environmental assessment for the installation of six underground fuel-storage tanks at a Town Pump gas station and convenience store under construction in Whitefish.

The agency released the 27-page assessment on Friday and will continue accepting public comments on the project through May 28.

The gas station is being developed at the northeast corner of U.S. 93 and Montana 40, at the southern edge of Whitefish's city limits. According to the DEQ's report, Town Pump plans to install six double-walled underground tanks that would store up to 84,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel.

The DEQ found the project would have little or no immediate impacts on wildlife, the environment and historical and archaeological sites. The report notes there are more than 80 wells within a mile of the proposed gas station, and the tanks will need to be equipped with leak-detection technology and other safety measures to protect soil and groundwater.

The report also notes that Town Pump is expected to plant new trees at the site after a contractor mistakenly cut down eight mature evergreens and damaged others in November.

The DEQ said it "has not identified any significant impacts associated with the proposed installation and operation for any environmental resource."

The assessment can be found at deq.mt.gov/land/ust/ea.

Reporter Chad Sokol can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected]