Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board will rule within 45 days on the request of two men who want to store explosives in Perry Township.
Billy Montgomery and Richard Swindle made the request Wednesday for a special exception. ZHB solicitor Gretchen Mundorff said the county zoning code does not include any provision for explosives storage. She said, if the board approved the special exception, it would fall under the category of "all other uses" in a manufacturing zone.
Montgomery explained that the explosives come in three parts: shaped charges, primer cords and caps. Caps are stored separately from the other parts in order to prevent accidental detonation. His company, Express Energy Services, which is involved in the gas industry, would store no more than 50 pounds total of the materials, which is all the ATF allows at one facility.
Express Energy Services is located on Route 51 across from McDonalds, near the Star Junction intersection.
Member Mark Rafail asked for specifics about the explosives and their storage.
Montgomery said the explosives would be stored within an aluminum building in two six-by-six foot bunkers manufactured by a company that builds bunkers for the military. The bunkers weigh 1,500 pounds each and are a quarter inch of steel lined with two inches of hardwood. He said the locks on the buildings could not be cut off and one person would carry the keys at all times. The storage facility would be monitored 24 hours a day with security cameras. He said there would be no commercial security system.
Montgomery said he would install a nine-foot fence with barbed wire around the facility to conform with ATF requirements.
Board Chairman Jim Killinger asked if Montgomery would consider having a person on site at all times and lighting around all the building, in addition to the cameras. Montgomery agreed to the proposal.
Mundorff asked if Montgomery had been in contact with the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department. He said he had.
"There's nothing you can do to fight an explosives fire. If that 50 pounds would blow up inside the bunkers, there would be minimal damage to the building," said Montgomery.
Perry Township Supervisor Chairman A.J. Boni, who is also the assistant chief of the fire department, said he had met informally with the men, with the police chief and with the state police. "It puts a bull's eye around them for patrols. I give them credit for coming to us. We asked for a fence with razor wire. If, God forbid, there's a fire, we'll surround and drown it. We'd not let any of our people into the building."
Rafail asked if Montgomery had considered security guards to monitor the cameras. Montgomery said he was willing to do that.
Killinger said security is paramount. "We need somebody from his company or a security company at the site. With terrorism, I don't want this board to put Perry Township in danger."
