Commission defers Duquesne outdoor-tank storage plan after safety and containment questions

The planning commission deferred for 90 days a site-plan application by Duquesne Electric (industrial owner) to establish an approximately 11-acre outdoor storage area for ISO tanks containing electrolyte liquid. Staff and the applicant described proposed tank sizes, the number of stalls and a projected total capacity measured in gallons; staff said some technical submittals had been provided but that critical safety materials, including the most recent SDS (safety data sheet) for the finished product and details on secondary containment and fire-suppression plans, were received only shortly before the meeting or remained incomplete.

Commissioners and several members asked detailed, technical questions about secondary containment (whether spills on the proposed concrete pad would be captured or routed to a designed wet pond), the scope of the existing TDEC permit (which staff said covered 40 acres but did not include the proposed expansion), and fire-suppression capabilities for aboveground tank storage. The applicant’s engineering representative, Owen Penn of Bowler Engineering, described site features and a stormwater/detention plan, but acknowledged some safety and inspection-frequency questions required additional detail.

Given the magnitude of the liquid volumes discussed and the potential chemical hazard—staff and commissioners read aloud SDS hazard categories and discussed the need for specialized firefighting measures—the commission concluded it did not have enough information to approve. A motion to defer 90 days passed on roll call; staff asked commissioners to submit specific technical questions so the applicant can return with qualified experts and documentation addressing secondary containment, fire suppression, inspection frequency, and TDEC- and fire-marshal-related approvals.