The Albury outlet, on the corner of Young and Guinea streets, has been adorned with Mobil livery and new bowsers in anticipation of trading resuming at the site.

But Albury mayor Kevin Mack said the station would not be allowed to trade while question marks remained over tainted earth under the property.

“Remediation works have been undertaken by the site’s new owner and a certified consultant is preparing a validation report for the site to confirm the status of contamination,” Cr Mack said.

“Additional remediation may be required depending on findings of that report.

“Council will not permit operations to commence on this site until the validation report confirms the site is suitable for its proposed use.”

The property’s former owner Steve Bowdren, who sold the property last December after a personal dispute, is “disgusted” trading may resume on the corner.

“If there’s contamination across the road towards Aldi (supermarket in Young Street), who holds the baby?” he said before answering his question with “the council and ratepayers”. 

Mr Bowdren, who bought the property from Ampol in 2000, successfully fought its successor Caltex to clean-up soil contamination on the site in 2009 after facing a potential $904,000 remediation bill.

BP subsequently took over the petrol station but an EPA closure order saw the fuel giant terminate its lease before United Petroleum set up at the site in 2009.

A representative of Go Go Petroleum, of Katoomba, which has a sign attached to the temporary fencing at the corner, refused to speak to The Border Mail on Wednesday.

However, The Border Mail has been told new fibreglass fuel tanks have been installed and contaminated soil removed as part of preparations to trade.

Mr Bowdren said the previous steel tanks were relatively recently fixed in place and the only difference was the fibreglass units were bigger allowing a greater volume of fuel to be sold.

Mobil’s renewal in Albury follows the brand having waned with stations once located opposite its new site in Young Street, where Hungry Jack’s is being built in Hume Street and the Anytime Fitness gym in Waugh Road.