Underground Propane Tanks Worry Neighbors

Several residents worried about the safety of allowing 1,000-gallon propane tanks to be installed underground near their homes showed up to Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting to voice their concerns.

Developers for two separate properties—126 Jarvis Circle and 31 Grasmere Rd.—appeared before selectmen to request a fuel storage license to keep up to 1,000 gallons of propane stored in underground tanks on each property. Town bylaws require a special license for storage of more than 500 gallons of fuel on a property.

In both locations, existing natural gas lines are not close enough to tie into for gas to heat the homes, which was part of the reason developers said they chose the propane option.

Both property owners will contract with EnergyUSA Propane for the installation, refill and maintenance of the tanks.

Chief Paul Buckley said Needham has more than 100 licenses for underground fuel storage in town, though just a few of those are residential. 

Town Clerk Tedi Eaton said on Wednesday that there were only about nine or 10 residential underground fuel storage licenses on record.

Buckley said in his time on the department, the town has not had trouble with any of these tanks—in fact, in some ways, he felt it was safer to have the tanks below ground where they were less likely to be “violated” than above ground.

Needham’s bylaws are stricter than state regulations, which allow up to 2,000 gallons of underground storage on a property, Buckley said. Also in Needham, the tanks must be secured to a concrete slab to prevent them from shifting as a result of flooding or frost.

The tanks also must be a certain distance from dwellings, property lines, electrical sources and other utilities, Buckley said.

Mark Heavner of Heavner Construction Inc., representing the Jarvis Circle property, said that the tank would only hold about up to 800 or 900 gallons of propane at a time and that deliveries would be about half as frequent, maybe five or six times per year, as with a smaller tank—so the propane delivery truck would not be in the neighborhood as often.

The storage licenses have to be renewed every year, with review and inspections required for that renewal, town officials said.

Heavner said one of the reasons he had turned to propane was because it was so energy efficient—the heating system being installed at the Jarvis Circle home is 95 percent efficient.

“This wasn’t a choice made easily. This actually costs more to install than an oil system,” Heavner said.

Along with burning efficiently, propane produces better, cleaner heat inside a home than fuel oil and has a longer life on its equipment, Heavner said.

He also pointed out that many homes already have a 100-gallon propane tank above ground on their properties to supply stoves or have miniature propane tanks “rattling around” near backyard grills.

“This is a completely protected system, and I think you would find it safer than that small propane tank on your grill,” he said.

But several neighbors seemed unconvinced that the underground tanks would be safe.

John Halfrey, a Hunnewell Street resident, questioned how an underground tank could be fully inspected unless it was excavated periodically.

Officials said the tanks had to meet federal and state regulations and would be inspected before they were buried to be sure they were secure and stable, although they said there was no procedure for unearthing a tank to give it a complete check it in the future.

“I’m concerned about safety—that’s why I was interested in who’s going to inspect it and at what frequency and who’s responsible for that inspection,” Halfrey said after the hearing. “A lot of things are done and two or three years go by and people forget and it’s not inspected. And if the tank erodes and the tank lets go, it could be a very serious explosion.”

Halfrey’s wife Nancy also was concerned about the safety of having such a large propane tank near her home.

“My concern is for all of the people in the surrounding area that might be affected if there should be an explosion,” she said. “I’ve always been worried about gas anyway. I’ve been very happy that there is no gas in the neighborhood.”

The Halfreys heat their home with fuel oil.

“I feel much safer using the fuel oil rather than having any gas at all in use in my home,” Nancy Halfrey said. “I listened carefully to everything that the people said tonight and I still don’t feel good about it at all.”

Grasmere Road resident Carolyn Finn said during the hearing that even if the risk of an accident was low, she still worried about the tank’s safety. She questioned why alternatives were not explored more, such as a combination of fuel oil and alternative energy sources like solar, and suggested a “more thorough risk assessment” be done on underground propane tank installation.

“This is on a property in a densely populated neighborhood where there are a lot of people outside all the time, and I for one am concerned about an explosion and the risk that that explosion would create a lot of collateral damage,” Finn said.

Buckley said his department did not perform individual risk assessments and that as long as the tank meets federal, state and local guidelines, officials could not justify denying a license.

Selectmen supported both licenses unanimously, saying while they were glad residents voiced their concerns, they had to judge the issue on whether the applicant met all regulations and requirements.

“We’re not here to discuss the relative merits of what’s more efficient or what’s safe. The issue is: Is this safe? Not whether its safe versus one method or another,” Selectman Jim Healy said.

Selectman Dan Matthews said it had been about a decade since he had seen such a large response to this type of storage license. About 20 people attended the hearings on Tuesday.

He also said he believed everyone involved with the installation, inspection and maintenance of these tanks had an obligation to reduce risk as much as possible.

“I feel as long as they’re operating within the safety standards, the homeowner has the right to choose what [type of fuel] to use,” he said.

Though he supported the licenses, Selectman Jerry Wasserman said he did think local and state officials should address concerns about long-term inspection of underground tanks.

Selectmen Moe Handel and John Bulian both said they did not take the issue lightly and were glad that residents showed up to talk about it.

“It’s important that we hear from you, that we hear concerns that are addressed by the experts who are here and that we have those questions asked and answered so that we can make the best decision,” Bulian said. “I’m satisfied with the safety mechanisms that are in place.”

Olde Landmark Builders Inc. is developing the Grasmere Road property.