Kootenai County approves conditional use permit for 12,000‑gallon diesel tank with added containment condition

Kootenai County commissioners on Aug. 14 approved a conditional use permit for Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. to install a 12,000‑gallon above‑ground diesel storage tank on a 20‑acre parcel off Beck Road near State Line, voting to add a condition directing staff to work with Panhandle Health District on additional containment measures prior to final issuance.

The permit (CUP24‑0012) covers a double‑walled tank up to 11 feet in height sited along the southern property line of the undeveloped lot. Planner Blake Setter told the board the tank would sit on a raised concrete pad and be used to refuel trucks serving a cross‑dock warehouse facility. Community development staff said agencies with jurisdiction reviewed the proposal; most approved, and the hearing examiner recommended approval on July 17.

Why it matters: the site sits over the Rathbun Prairie Aquifer, and at least one public comment opposed the project because of potential environmental impacts. Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for detail on secondary containment, drains and spill capture measures because of aquifer protection concerns.

In discussion, commissioners asked whether the tank would include the concrete containment barriers they had seen at other sites and whether fuel dispensing would occur over protected surfaces. Ben Tarbutton, community development staff, said the applicant’s narrative described a 20‑by‑20 concrete fueling pad sloped to a central drain basin that routes to a 1,000‑gallon oil‑water separator with shutoff valves; a canopy would cover dispensing operations. Setter and staff also described the tank as double‑walled — an inner and outer tank — and said the installation would be permitted and inspected by Panhandle Health District and that industry best management practices were in place.

Commissioners debated whether the standard double‑walled tank provided adequate protection given the aquifer below. Several commissioners suggested adding a concrete barrier or other “belt‑and‑suspenders” measures; Director Callahan and other staff said the board could add a condition requiring staff to work with Panhandle Health District to identify additional containment or protective measures and return the details to the board for final sign‑off.

Motion and outcome: a motion to approve CUP24‑0012 with an additional condition that staff work with Panhandle Health District to develop an enhanced containment solution passed unanimously. The recorded vote was: Commissioner Eberline — Aye; Commissioner Duncan — Aye; Chair Metari — Aye.

What’s next: staff will work with Panhandle Health District and the applicant to draft the specific containment condition(s) and will return the agreed language to the board before final issuance of the permit.