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Commission Approves Rezoning For Walnut Hill Crude Oil Transfer Station, Up To 30 New Jobs
May 18, 2012
The Escambia County Commission voted unanimously Thursday night to rezone property in Walnut Hill where an energy company proposes to build a crude oil transfer station that could mean about 30 new high paying jobs.
With a motion from Kevin White and a second from Gene Valentino, the commission voted 5-0 in favor of rezoning acreage that fronts Corley Road, but has a Highway 97A address, from village agricultural” to “general industrial” as recommended by the Escambia County Planning Board.
Genesis Rail Systems, LLC wants to build the facility on 20 near Arthur Brown Road. The property was chosen because it is at the intersection of an existing crude oil pipeline and the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway.
Crude oil will be shipped in rail tanker cars from the north — including oil fields in Monroe and Escambia counties in Alabama — and be offloaded at the Walnut Hill facility into a 100,000 barrel storage tank before being injected into the existing Genesis pipeline for transport to refineries along the Gulf Coast.
According to project plans, the facility will create 25-30 or more well paying full time jobs in the community, plus positive economic impacts from constructions and ongoing expenditures.
Plan drawings for the facility show that the large crude oil storage tank will be surrounded by a lined containment area designed to catch storm water runoff and, in a worse case scenario, any leak, preventing any contamination to the surrounding area. The facility will also include the pumping equipment, a 1,500 square foot administration building and a 45-space gravel parking lot.
To support the planned oil transfer station, the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway is currently constructing an additional rail spur parallel to tracks that run along Corley Road from Arthur Brown Road.
Pictured above: Property off Corley Road in Walnut Hill were a company wants to build a crude oil transfer station. Pictured inset: Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway is already working to install new track. Pictured below: Plans for the facility. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
7 Responses to “Commission Approves Rezoning For Walnut Hill Crude Oil Transfer Station, Up To 30 New Jobs”
It is about time the state of Florida gets involved in the oil Business and create some good paying jobs. They just need to keep tight restrictions on inspections of these tanks and EPA regulations of these items. This can be operated safely. We are already giving our Oil reserves away to China because we will not drill offshore. China is going to Drill off the coast of Cuba into the Florida reserves.
“About Time”
Depending on type of oil, as in Jay Fl., Hydrogensulfide gas will rot down fences tops and sides of barns. Let them truck the oil as they are doing now in other places. As far as the jobs, there will a be few if anyone in the area is hired. The county commissioners have no idea what they are dealing with here. But they are going to let the locals deal with the problem after start up. Let the people in area vote on such things. I hope it is still WE THE PEOPLE.
I think it’s great! Maybe my son can get a job without having to move away!
Im glad to see something happen in walnut hill. This place is seriously dead.
Seriously?! Did they bother to ask any of the residents if they WANTED a big industrial complex near thier homes? What if there’s an oil spill? What about the smell? How about the increased traffic? How about the drop in our property values? I OBJECT! I DO NOT want any sort of industrial complex as my neighbor. Guess who’s not getting voted in next time!? Anybody want to buy an acre or so about 5 miles from the new plant? Got a junky house and a decent trailer on it.
Hopefully these new jobs will not be in house with the company.
But what if there’s a snail darter or a soon to be protected rattlesnake nest in there, will we then have to spend millions of dollars to start all over and find another site? Sometimes the government just can’t leave well enough alone (actually, now that I think about it, most times!)