Topeka — The Shawnee County Commission on July 2 granted a conditional use permit for an anhydrous ammonia facility in the Pottawattamy area over the objections of nearby residents concerned about safety and decreased values of their property. The neighbors who live 570 feet away from the proposed location were the only ones objecting to the installation planned by J.B. Pearl which has ammonia facilities in Jefferson and Douglas counties and has been in the business for about 12 years. According to co-owner Troy Pearl, the commission concluded that the safety mechanism built into the facility and the training the employees would be given would minimize any concern about accidental release. Pearl said that the location in a rural agriculture area also convinced the board to vote unanimously to grant the permit. Pearl said that demand for anhydrous ammonia is growing rapidly in the area, tripling in last 10 years. “We’ve been struggling to have a steady supply of the product,” he noted. The new location will have two storage tanks which hold about 140 tons each.
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