Long Grove Residents get heated about a possible new neighbor - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Long Grove Residents get heated about a possible new neighbor

By: Christine Souders

csouders@cbs4qc.com

A proposal to put anhydrous ammonia tanks in Long Grove has been contentious for months now.  Thursday night many folks that live nearby got one last chance to pleaded their case.

A public hearing was held Thursday night in front of the Scott County Board of Supervisors.  For the majority who showed up, it was a last ditch effort to stop "Crop Production Services" from moving to a place in Long Grove that many residents believe is not a smart or safe location.

Here's the debate:

"The issue, I think for farmers who are interested in having anhydrous ammonia close by is that they have access to the product and it lowers their cost of transportation.  The issue for the people who live nearby is that anhydrous ammonia is not a particularly safe product," said Larry Minard, Scott County Board of Supervisors' Chair.

Anhydrous ammonia is a key ingredient for meth production in makeshift labs.

"We feel the crime rate is bound to go up...we want it not to be there, so we don't have to go later, oh I wish we would of not done that," said Nancy Phelps who lives directly across the street from the proposed site.  She approached board members with that concern, and following Phelps were her neighbors, also with a long list of worries.

"It's a pretty risky idea considering the nature of the road and the traffic in that area," said Long Grove Resident Mike Feldpausch.

"How do you sell your property when it's next to a 30,000 dollar tank of toxins," said Long Grove Resident Annie Marrakech.

Not everyone is against the proposal. during the meeting, a few folks encouraged the board to move the storage tanks in, "I don't think it's fair for every single thing that comes to the Quad Cities to be turned down," said Sally Ellis who was at the public hearing.

The Scott County Board of Supervisors said they will take every comment into consideration, but the final decision is now solely in their hands.

The Board of Supervisors will have an answer at their meeting on January 17th.