Near the Creek Turnpike in Jenks, the Phillips 66 Glenpool Terminal is busy filling tanker trucks.
Behind the tanker pumps are large storage tanks, and the energy company told the Jenks City Council it wants to build a butane storage tank at the 101st and Elwood Facility.
“If anything happened to this tank a lot of people would be in danger. There’s also going to be three butane tanks, tanker trucks driving through town full of compressed butane we don’t know what the risk is with those yet,” said Jenks City Councilor At-Large Robert Lee.
Lee said Jenks City Council voted 4 to 3 and approved the planning commission’s recommendation to build the butane tank.
Lee voted against it.
“On its face it’s dangerous we didn’t know all the information going into the meeting, we still don’t have all the information, so I don’t understand why we made this decision without all the information at hand,”said Lee.
Phillips 66 representatives at the council meeting said the storage tank is needed to blend butane with gasoline and a butane blend helps reduce emissions.
Phillips 66 provided 2 Works For You with a statement Monday about the project:
Phillips 66 has been upgrading infrastructure at several of our Midstream facilities, including the Glenpool Terminal, to enable butane blending. Adding butane to gasoline brings the mixture up to state and federal motor fuel volatility limits, which vary seasonally.
We are pleased that the Jenks City Council approved the permit. The project will begin in early November and is expected to be operational in early 2018.
Councilor Lee said a member of the planning commission who inquired about the hazards of the butane tanks says the product has a potential for a half-mile blast radius.
Homes, ball fields and even a school facility are nearby.
“There are dangers as far as you know lightning strikes or whatever could happen, so its definitely a concern,” said Jimmy Blacketer, a Jenks homeowner,”
Councilor Lee said even though the city council did approve the new storage tank.
He said the fire department is still looking into the potential hazard.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
