TULSA, Okla. — Tulsans showed up to Wednesday's city council meeting to weigh in on a proposal from the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission to rezone the Evans Fintube and BMX site.
Supporters of the idea wanted to change it from an industrial to a master planning district in order to develop the area. Some residents wanted the city to wait on the rezoning proposal until a Butane Transloading Operation hazard is addressed.
Franchell Abdalla said she is trying to develop the area into a commercial mixed-use site.
"While butane concerns us, the delay in economic development in the North Tulsa corridor is of a greater concern," Abdalla said.
Meanwhile, others opposed the rezoning proposal.
“If one human error happens, then it can affect the entire district, it could affect the last historic brick commercial district buildings on Greenwood, it could affect Vernon, it could affect, it could affect Greenwood Rising Museum, BMX," Reverend Dr. Freeman Culver, President for the Historic Greenwood District the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce said.
In September, Culver sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency expressing his concerns. Last month, he said he received a letter from the EPA telling him an inspector will be completing the inspection report within the next few months and the inspection report will be shared publicly through EPA’s website.
“I’m a business owner down in Greenwood, and I just found out about this, and I’m really really upset," Cleo Harris Jr, owner of Black Wall Street T-Shirt and Souvenirs said, at the city council Wednesday.
Those concerns were brought before city council members as they consider a rezoning proposal for the Evans Fintube and BMX site. Many of them are concerned about the safety risk butane poses to the area.
Greenwood District business owner and former truck driver of 20 years, Cleo Harris, took the microphone Wednesday.
“I know the dangers that can happen with these tankers, I pass the railroad tracks every morning six days a week, and just common sense when. you look at the air hose that scrapes the ground…all it takes is just a little ember. I’ve dealt with this and I know the risk. It’s not a matter of if something like this is going to happen…it’s when," Harris said.
Others took their turn at the microphone, urging leaders to take the issue seriously.
“In reference to this transloading site seems to be very vague… and the danger seems to be underestimated," Dale Martin said.
“This is not an acceptable risk, it is a plain, simple verified hazard that the city agrees is a hazard," Fred Storer, a retired chemical and environmental engineer said.
Storer said a butane leak could find an ignition source and cause a major explosion, a vapor cloud explosion, which he said could reach all the way to ONEOK Field, or even worse — a boiling liquid evaporating explosion, which he said could devastate surrounding communities.
“The city built a sporting venue and spent $25 million, they built it in a place that was dangerous… you can either eliminate the danger or you can close the facility… it’s that simple," Storer said.
The city said even when they've had a conversation with the owners of the transloading companies to move, they said they wanted between $8-10 million to do it. City councilors said their hands are tied and the decision is not up to them because federal railroad law is involved.
However, Storer said the city should enforce zoning rules and require the transloading facility to be in a heavy industry zone rather than a medium industry zone. The city council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning proposal anyway.
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