A propane vapor was detected Nov. 8 in a landfill north of Enterprise’s Monroe storage facility at 3590 Yankee Road.
The monitors are being distributed to homes with basements located within a one-mile radius of the business.
“We have yet to identify a direct, verifiable connection between the detection of gas and our facility, but we are committed to being a good neighbor,” said Graham Bacon, senior vice president of operations at Enterprise Products.
The company probed 250 spots along its pipeline on the northern section of the facility Nov. 9, but “none of which indicated the site of propane vapors,” Bacon said.
Enterprise Products will pay for the 76 gas detectors that will be installed by either Middletown or Monroe firefighters or members of the county’s fire and arson investigation team during the next three weeks. The Butler County Environmental Management Agency will contact homeowners for installation appointments.
“I don’t expect that anyone will have positive gas detections on these propane detectors, but I’m also not one that takes chances with the public safety,” said Ohio State Fire Marshal Larry Flowers. “The best solution to a problem is to prevent it from happening to begin with, and that’s what we’re seeking to do here. ”
Over the past several weeks, the company has built several detection wells, but none of them detected additional vapors.
Two homeowners with basements on Dorothy Lane said they hadn’t heard from the Butler County EMA as of Friday afternoon.
Valnea McGuire, who lives at 3742 Dorothy Lane, said she was concerned if there was possible leak in the area.
“Oh my God,” she said. “That’s not good.”
Jack Horrocks, who lives at 3734 Dorothy Lane, said the BP gas line runs through a neighbor’s yard.
“Until the source of the propane has been detected and eliminated, we will continue to do precaution for the local residents,” Butler County EMA Director Jeff Galloway said.
To contact the county EMA for more information, call 513-785-5810.
About the Author
