By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – On Tuesday, August 13, the Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission tabled a request by SEK Coop to place an 18,000-gallon propane bulk storage tank near the intersection of two highways.
The cooperative wanted to install the tank in a 209 foot by 209 foot lot near the northeast corner of the intersection of Kansas Highway 7and and Kansas Highway 152 about 5 miles east of Parker. The decision will be determined at theSemal
The staff recommended approval of this conditional use permit (CUP) as all requirements had been satisfied. The SEK Coop had obtained all state and federal permits required as well as permission from the Linn County Fire Department.
Two members of the planning commission, David Fisher and Joab Ory, were concerned that the measurements on the site plan were not accurately showing distances especially from the house located on the property. The resident owner, Terry Griffin, is the one leasing the property to the SEK Coop.
David Miller from SEK Coop said that he had just eyeballed the distances as accurately as he could.
Commission member Elizabeth Staton said that measuring the distance from the property owner’s home on the Internet was about 540 feet. She said that she would like to have a more precise measurement.
Ory asked what the fallout area around the tank is if it exploded. Miller replied that there are safety devices on top that are called relief valves and when it goes off, it spews up into the air. Ory said he wanted to know end-of-the-world worst case scenario, how far would that explosion radius go out?
Miller said he could not imagine a situation where the explosion would go that far.
Ory said you still have to plan for the worst.
Planning commission member Morgan Brown pointed out that the propane business in general has an excellent safety record. If you look around the country, the rural areas, propane tanks are sitting behind almost every house, so that gives us a pretty good idea of the safety. If lightning hit it ,that would be a concern.
“Very seldom do you hear of any problems,” said Brown.
Fisher, Staton and Ory wanted to table the approval until they had the exact measurements of the distance from residences in the area.
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