Neighbors Oppose Proposed Petroleum Storage Facility

A proposed petroleum storage facility could mean cheaper gas in Fargo-Moorhead.

It also means anger in one rural township, where people don’t want a new neighbor.

The proposal has already caused turmoil in small Raymond Township.

People who live there say they’ve never dealt with anything like this before, and they’re not keen to start now.
 
Cenex wants to build a facility that can hold nearly 450,000 barrels of petroleum in Cass County, just over a mile southeast of the town of Prosper.

At a Public Service Commission hearing to help determine if the state will sign off on the facility, a discussion about the merits of the project.
 
A representative of Nustar Energy says it would, “bring new injected barrels into this area to supply our customers.”
 
The facility would connect to Nustar’s North System pipeline, along with Cenex’s own pipeline.

Cenex says the storage would make it easier to get fuel to Fargo when demand is high.
 
Farmer’s Union Oil Moorhead CEO Kent Satrang adds, “So I think it would keep the prices low for both gasoline and diesel during those peaks.”
 
But a controversy has erupted about the location of the project, Raymond Township.
 
“It’s out kind of in the middle of country, surrounded completely by farmland,” explains Township Supervisor Board member David Gust. “Gravel roads are the only access to it.”
 
Opposition is so strong, Gust says the head of the board was voted out last month because he supported the facility.
 
Gust says, “There’s gotta be better places to put this.”
 
He’s worried that the storage tanks could become targets.
 
“Vandalism,” he adds. “You can talk about terrorism. It would be an easy site to do that at.”
 
Even if the Public Service Commission approves the proposal, local township officials say they can put an end to the whole thing if they’re not satisfied.
 
“I believe we can,” Gust adds.
 
The township has to issue separate approval before construction can start.

There’s a meeting scheduled next month. Township leaders say there’s no way to predict what will happen at that meeting.

An Administrative Law Judge presided over the PSC hearing.

He’ll forward his recommendation to Public Service Commissioners, who will make their decision on the project at a later date.

That decision has no bearing on the township board’s decision.