Door County to Map Propane Lines
By Andrew Fefer
Door County wants to know where and when propane distribution systems were installed to avoid accidents involving severed lines.
Last July, a propane leak caused a series of explosions that destroyed three buildings in Ellison Bay and left two people dead.
The county hopes to gather propane information so it doesn’t happen again. Just a day after those explosions, the county says, it started working to prevent another tragedy.
Mandatory registration is illegal in Wisconsin, so the county will ask homeowners and propane companies to notify the county where and then they installed their propane systems. The records will go on the county’s web site, so people can look before they dig.
County Administrator Michael Serpe says the database will be the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
“Necessity is the mother of invention, and as in most things involving public safety standards, it is human nature to wait ’til something bad happens to point out that something doesn’t exist.”
The county says at least two homeowners have already shown interest in registering their propane tanks and lines, even though the program won’t start for another 30 to 45 days.
Gary Englebert says he’ll register because of his propane tank that was installed when Englebert built his home eleven years ago.
“I think it’s all for the common good if everybody knows where the lines are. Safety first, that what I’ve always been taught,” he said.
The county plans to run public service announcements and ads to let people know about the program once it starts.
Propane companies we contacted Monday would not comment on the program.