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Resident urges removal of large propane tank; commissioners pledge follow-up
Summary
A Jefferson County resident told commissioners an 18,000‑pound propane tank near her home poses an immediate safety and health risk and asked that the county remove it or restore required buffers; commissioners agreed to consult the fire chief and county manager and return to the issue at a future meeting.
A long‑time resident told the Jefferson County Commission on Nov. 6 that a large propane storage tank near her home presents a serious safety and health hazard and asked the board to remove it.
"Remove the tank," the resident said, describing the unit as an "18,000 pound" tank near her driveway and recounting past propane and industrial fires she said left victims badly injured. She said local buffers had been cut down and that family members who visited had become ill; she asked the commission to enforce setbacks or remove the tank altogether.
Commissioners and staff responded that they would check options with the fire chief and the county manager. The presiding official asked staff to "get with Mister Wheeler and see what potential options the county would have possibly to mitigate this issue, whether it be enforcing [a] buffer to be put back or ... setback wise." A staff member and a commissioner also promised to follow up with the resident outside the meeting.
The resident raised multiple safety concerns: proximity to her front door and children, limited road access because of surrounding swamp, and potential impacts to multiple private wells and a spring‑fed stream she said feed local infrastructure. She urged bolstering first‑responder capacity (ambulance, fire department, sheriff) in the area.
County staff did not commit to a specific enforcement action at the meeting but said they would investigate whether the tank had been permitted correctly and whether any code or setback conditions were violated. The board invited the resident to return with any documentation and asked staff to report back at a future meeting.
Next steps: staff will consult the fire chief and county manager and report back; the board scheduled continued discussion at a future meeting. The commission did not take immediate formal action to remove the tank at the Nov. 6 session.
Reporting note: quotations and attributions are drawn from public comment during the Nov. 6 meeting's citizen input period.
