— from Janet Alderton —

The 30,000 gallon liquefied propane storage tank that is proposed to be sited on Seaview in a residential neighborhood near the Eastsound Airport would be a potential threat to all of Eastsound. If it exploded, shrapnel could be propelled more than a mile by the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).

Please watch this Canadian safety and training video for first responders to Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosions.

A BLEVE results in the explosive release of vapor and boiling liquid. For propane tanks, the blast results in flying projectiles, fireballs, and thermal radiation.

  • 320 meters (0.21 miles) is the minimum observation distance for 40,000 liter (10,500 gallon) propane tank to avoid excessive heat radiation.
  • 1800 meters (1.1 miles) evacuation distance is required to avoid projectiles from a 40,000 (10,500 gallon) liter propane tank.
  • 40,000 liters equals 10,500 gallons.

So for a 30,000 gallon propane tank, the evacuation and observation distances would be much larger.

Please let Fire Chief Williams (swilliams@orcasfire.org) and Councilor Rick Hughes (rick@sanjuanco.com) know that you are concerned.

I do not think that the proposed 30,000 gallon liquefied propane storage tank should be sited in a populated area unless it is buried to an adequate depth to protect from fire or other heat sources.

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