proposal still raises concerns
By Cherise Kaechele
Argus Observer
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 12:44 PM PDT
NEW PLYMOUTH — The Payette County Planning and Zoning Commission will continue to consider a request for a conditional use permit from Bridge Resources Thursday for a proposed compression and dehydration station in Payette County.
Even though the commission has not formulated a recommendation for the County Commissioners, some residents continue to express concern about the overall safety of the station.
It has been more than a month since the last meeting with Bridge Resources. At the last meeting, several local firefighters voiced their concern about the lack of tools and training to respond to a potential emergency situation at the proposed site
If a fire ever did occur at the site or along the pipeline, the nearest fire department able to respond is the New Plymouth Fire Department. However, New Plymouth Fire Chief Allen Blevins said the department is not fully equipped or trained to properly respond to an emergency situation at the plant.
Blevins said the fire department has two big trucks and one pumper. If there was a fire at the site, the department would need foam units to have any chance of getting the fire contained.
Blevins said a similar situation has occurred in the past, and the New Plymouth Fire Department had to call in foam units from Ontario and Caldwell to help contain the fire.
Pattie Young, a Payette County resident, has previous experience of what could happen if there was an explosion at the gathering site.
Young said she used to live in an area where there were several plants. The county was used to the plants and trusted them to report on problems and abide by the regulations established.
The plant near where Young lived at the time was approximately five to seven miles away from her home but it was a cleaning and processing plant, not the kind of plant Bridge Resources is planning to build. This cleaning and processing plant had been leaking for 14 days before there was an explosion.
The leakage affected the community in a massive way, Young said. People began getting sick. She said her daughter had been put in the hospital on oxygen for about a month because of the exposure to the chemicals.
Young said she has seen what could happen if a company does not regulate its site. She said she knows what a county can enforce for a company like Bridge Resources, and she has seen it in a bigger scope from a small area.
https://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2011/08/17/news/doc4e4c16287429f548098637.txt