were installed — tanks complete with computerized system which

were installed — tanks complete with computerized system which monitors against leaks. They carry a 30-year guarantee.

“We went a bit further than the law says but we don’t want to pollute anyone or anything,” Mrs. Settle said, adding the investment in the tanks was a family investment since their children, Buddy and Tammy, also are part of the business.

But, the Settles had to sacrifice a bit of their store for the gasoline service. “We knew gas was needed in this area," Mrs. Settle said, adding their search for a distributor was difficult. ‘There is. not enough volume in rural areas for gas companies to be interested in coming here,” she explained, adding their gas receipts amount to just 25 percent of all sales.

“We had to make the changes if we were going to pump their gas,” she said, explaining that Citgo wanted an entire new store, something more modern, for distribution.

“We went with Chevron out of Middletown,” she said,adding they required the fewest changes, though the new canopy over the tanks is their request as well as the grey roof and the new setback requirements.

“It’s not fair in many ways,” she said, referring to the demands the larger companies place on the smaller businesses. “They won’t come out here because they don’t make a lot of money,” she said, adding business may increase as traffic does but smaller places don’t maintain high gasoline revenue.

“It’s not just this store that loses,” Mr. Peyton said with a sadness in his voice as he looked around the former store, now bare except for empty shelves and unlit soda machines. “The state is going to lose a lot in taxes,” he said, explaining without his business, and that of other store owners like him, the state will lose tax dollars on gasoline, alcoholic beverages and food. And, the county will lose the one penny of sales tax from each dollar’s sales which is returned to it. And,