Proponents and opponents of an application by Maritime Energy to install a 30,000-gallon propane tank had a chance to review and discuss the project during a public hearing in the Nobleboro Central School gymnasium Thursday, Sept. 8.
The safety of the project at Maritime Energy’s facility on the corner of Route 1 and Vannah Road and its impact on the community was the focus of the hearing.
Several residents expressed concerns about bringing a project of this size to the location, while representatives of Maritime Energy reiterated the safety precautions in place to ensure the community’s safety.
Nobleboro Planning Board Chair Shoshana Zuboff opened the public hearing and said the purpose of the meeting was to gather together in sight of one another and hear each other out.
“I am hoping tonight we can go a little bit beyond hearing and achieve something that is sometimes more difficult, and that is actually listening,” Zuboff said.
Following Zuboff’s introduction, Maritime Energy Vice President Charlie Page presented an overview of the project.
Page said the purpose of the project is to better serve residents and reach customers in the area faster, especially during the winter months.
He said the company has been around for 77 years and has been working with propane since 1985.
Page said making more propane available in the area would foster competition among suppliers and keep prices down for consumers. Fuel is currently shipped to Nobleboro from Rockland, where the company’s headquarters are located, as needed.
Page said Maritime Energy has 30,000-gallon storage tanks in Montville and Rockland, and both locations have a track record of safety.
He said the type of tank proposed is a standard size for propane storage and can be found in numerous locations throughout the state.
Page said at this point the plan is for one wholesale delivery truck a week to stop at the Nobleboro facility. He said one truck can hold up to 10,000 gallons of propane.
In response to a question about whether Maritime Energy had considered other sites as a location for a storage tank, Page said other sites, including a location in Edgecomb, were considered, but the Nobleboro location made the most sense.
“All those sites weren’t bad, but they were in a very close proximity to the road,” Page said.
Nobleboro resident Chloe Maxmin, who is Zuboff’s daughter, spoke in opposition to the project.
“No amount of equipment could make this safe. Something could fail and it’s the random accidents, the one-in-a-million events, that could ultimately harm our town,” Maxmin said.
“I am not willing to take this risk. Maritime Energy and our planning board should not either. Put this tank in a safe place,” Maxmin said.
Maxmin said she has not discussed the project with Zuboff.
Project details
Jody Pratt Ameden, a consultant for Crown Energy Solutions LLC, of New Hampshire, discussed the safety measures and protocols of the facility during the hearing.
Crown Energy Solutions is the contractor for the proposed installation project.
She said the tank would be 47 feet long and 11 feet in diameter, with a total height just under 15 feet. A barrier around the tank would protect it from vehicles and ensure safe snow removal during the winter months.
Ameden said Maritime Energy only uses company trucks driven by company employees, avoiding common carriers.
Ameden said there would be three emergency shut-offs in the vicinity of the tank to help ensure a safe working environment. There is also an emergency shut-off that prevents a truck driver from putting a truck in gear if the truck is still hooked up to the tank.
She said the tank would likely not be filled to capacity all the time.
“Common practice is to keep the tank full in the winter and at 50 percent or less in the summer because not as much propane is used,” Ameden said.
Public comment
Maxmin was not the only resident in attendance who expressed opposition to the project. Several residents expressed their own worries, including a desire for the will of the people to be followed in the subsequent decision process.
Among others expressing concern was Pam Miller, who spoke on her frustration with the number of outside groups involved with the project.
“We have to live here with this decision,” Miller said.
In addition to safety concerns, residents asked what steps Maritime Energy would be willing to take to make the propane tank as visually pleasing as possible.
According to Page, only one end of the tank would be visible from the road because there are trees between the tank and the road.
Page said he saw no reason to oppose planting additional vegetation or providing additional screening to minimize the visual impact of the tank, but he said any trees planted for the purpose would have to be planted in a way that there would be no risk of them falling on the tank.
“We will make it as aesthetically pleasing as we can without violating code and law,” Page said.
Concerns were also raised about the impact of such a project on the rural setting of Nobleboro, but planning board Vice Chair Richard Powell said that through the town’s comprehensive planning process, the Route 1 corridor was chosen as the area in the municipality available for commercial development.
“The majority of the residents in town approved it … that’s the area we chose,” Powell said.
Mary Sheldon, a resident, voiced support for the project.
She said she attended the two previous planning board meetings prior to the public hearing and was comfortable with the project.
“It seems to me that it is perfectly reasonable to put it in,” Sheldon said.
She said that though the tank is probably not going to be beautiful, it would not pose a danger to the neighborhood.
Site walk
A site walk was held prior to the public hearing.
Maritime Energy Safety Coordinator Jeff Marcotte placed wooden stakes at the approximate location of the storage tank to provide a visual aid.
The site is approximately 270 feet from the center of Route 1.
The Nobleboro Planning Board will hold its next meeting at the town office at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 15. The board has 40 days to issue a decision on the project.
