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Centreville council moves to suspend AmeriGas business license after propane facility fire
Summary
Council members said a recent AmeriGas propane incident near hospitals and senior housing posed a public‑safety risk and voted to suspend the company's city business license to force relocation talks; staff and the Liquefied Gas Board will continue investigations.
Centreville's city council voted to suspend the local business license of an AmeriGas propane facility after members described the site's proximity to hospitals, a nursing home and other populated areas as an immediate public‑safety risk.
The move followed a report on a recent incident at the AmeriGas site that required multiple volunteer fire departments and deputies. S3, the council chair, opened the discussion by praising first responders and asking for guidance on next steps: “If it takes a suspension of a business license... then that's what I think we probably ought to move towards to get the negotiations started,” S3 said.
Several speakers described the facility as hazardous. S6 told the council, “it's a bomb sitting over there,” and noted a 35,000‑gallon tank on site. A staff member and legal advisor (S8) told the council that a business license is a privilege and that the council can suspend or revoke a license when public safety is at stake. S8 also said the facility appears to be operating outside the city's zoning rules and noted that the state Liquefied Gas Board will review the situation on April 10 and may provide AmeriGas time to present its case.
Council members said AmeriGas managers orally indicated they would not resume operations until they received written paperwork from state inspectors; the company had not yet provided that documentation to the city. Council members discussed relocation options for the business and several councilors said they preferred helping AmeriGas find an alternative site rather than immediately trying to close operations.
The council called for a motion to suspend the business license, received a second, and proceeded with a voice vote to suspend the license pending further negotiations and documentation; the transcript records a voice approval but does not record a numeric roll‑call tally. Staff said they would contact AmeriGas and coordinate follow‑up inspections with the state propane inspector and fire‑marshal investigators.
Next steps include follow‑up inspections, an after‑action review the council scheduled with emergency responders, and monitoring the Liquefied Gas Board process on April 10. The council said it intends to use the suspension as leverage to get AmeriGas to the table and to protect nearby residents and facilities.
