WESTFIELD – The City Council referred the petition of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Savannah, Ga., which is seeking to increase fuel storage at its 33 Elise St. facility, to the council’s License Committee Thursday night.
Gulfstream recently completed a $23 million expansion project that more than doubled their maintenance capacity. The new 125,000-square foot hanger facility has the capability of housing larger aircraft undergoing maintenance at the Barnes Regional Airport-based facility.
The firm, in May, requested the City Council to allow installation of an additional above-ground 20,000-gallon fuel storage tank, in addition to the present license for two 10,000-gallon above-ground tanks now at the facility. The council voted 13-0 at its June 6, 2013 meeting to grant that permit.
Detail of the petition granted last June were presented by Fran Ahern, general manager of the Barnes-based Gulfstream facility, at a May 16 public hearing conducted by the City Council.
The maintenance facility is located on the east side of the airport and is directly over the Barnes Aquifer. The transfer tank is a double-walled, above-ground tank with alarms that sound if there is any leakage between the two walls of the tank. The tank itself is located in a containment basin.
John J. Beltrandi III, chairman of the License Committee, said Friday that the company is requesting a new fuel storage permit.
“They got that permit in June for a transfer tank to off-load fuel before moving the aircraft into the hangers for maintenance,” Beltrandi said. “After they complete work on the airplane, they reload the fuel.”
That fuel is filtered and treated before being returned to the aircraft after maintenance work is completed.
“This petition, that we just got last night so I don’t have a lot of detail yet, is for additional storage that they need,” Beltrandi said. “I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Beltrandi said there was discussion of just amending the June fuel-tank permit, but decided the new application, which requires another public hearing, is a cleaner permitting process.
“It’s because it’s a different use that they need a separate permit,” Beltrandi said. “They’re looking for additional above-ground fuel storage. It’s just that they’re busy up there.”
Details of the application will be presented at a public hearing tentatively scheduled for the City Council’s Sept. 5 session.
