Oct 19, 2014 3 min read

On the surface, it sounds like a catastrophe waiting to happen.

We are referring to a proposal from Stuck Enterprises Inc., of Waynesburg, a wholesale distributor of gasoline and other fuels, to install a 30,000-gallon propane storage tank on vacant property at the corner of Washington and First streets on Waynesburg’s southside.

The company submitted an application with Waynesburg Zoning Hearing Board for a special exception to install the tank on property that was the site of the former Grove C. Hughes Hardware Store. A special exception was needed because the proposed use involves wholesale distribution and warehousing of quantities of hazardous or toxic substances.

On Oct. 6, the board denied the request.

The storage tank would have provided whole distribution of propane for residential and commercial use. The demand for propane increased because of the demand on natural gas well sites throughout Greene County.

Steve Stuck, company president, said at the zoning hearing his company also operates a bulk terminal with several large liquid fuel tanks at the intersection of Washington and First streets, several hundred feet from where he wants to put the propane tank. That terminal existed for more than 50 years and never created a problem, Stuck maintains.

Perhaps the greatest concern cited by members of the zoning and hearing board is the site is about a block-and-a-half from Margaret Bell Miller Middle School. That, in itself, should raise some red flags, despite Stuck’s assertion he met with district officials earlier in the day to explain the project and they had no problem with it.

We don’t doubt, as Stuck himself said, safety would be the highest priority and his family-owned business, which has always been tied closely to the community, would make sure the project was completed correctly. The company has a similar facility in a similar neighborhood in Oakland, Md., and has experienced no problems with it. Moreover, this tank will be made of 1-inch thick steel and equipped with automatic shutdown capabilities.

But we are all too aware nothing of this nature is 100 percent fail-safe. When considering the possibility of an accident, we understand the zoning hearing board’s decision.

Adam Chapman, one of the board members, said he was concerned about the tank being that close to the school and to residences on the southside. Though the installation would have safety features, and the chance of any mishap occurring were slim, “all it takes is one time” for something to happen, he said. “It’s too much of a risk,” he said.

We tend to agree.

Stuck, however, said his company “takes great pride” in what it does, and views the project in a positive light in that it will allow Stuck Enterprises to add to its product line and serve customers from its Waynesburg base.

He said the family-owned company was always a “good steward” of the community and is sensitive to people’s concerns.

We in no way doubt Stuck’s sincerity and commitment to safety.

It is the proposed location that has us concerned. It’s just too close to Margaret Bell Middle School.

There is a possibility Stuck could submit a new application and suggest a new location for the storage tank.

If that were to occur, perhaps the zoning hearing board could change its mind, and ours along with it.