Even though the butane storage tank meets all state and federal regulatory requirements, residents do not feel safe with a 40-year-old tank that contains up to 25 million gallons of highly flammable butane. Residents fear a potential catastrophe.
Much debate has arisen regarding the various scenarios of what could happen at the 20-acre facility. In the past, many residents have been unaware of the contents in the storage tanks, and are now expressing great concern for safety.
Government officials along with private parties see nothing wrong with these sites. "Although hundreds of people have been killed by conflagrations at large liquefied-petroleum-storage facilities in other countries, officials stress there have been no catastrophic failures at similar propane and butane storage sites in the United States," said Dan Weikel.
Residents of the area disagree and feel strongly against the tanks awaiting their removal. Janet Schaaf-Gunter states that "we live with the misconception that government and private companies are looking out for public safety. Look at San Bruno, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and what Hurricane Katrina did to the levees in New Orleans."
FULL STORY: San Pedro Residents Revive Debate About Gas Storage Tanks' Safety
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