Following on from Thursday’s shocking “announcement” about East Penn’s intention to occupy the million-square-foot warehouse space on Rt. 222, with the aim of using it for “automotive fulfillment” (aka BATTERIES) and streamlining their own operations, let’s look at a recent news story not far from here and how they had to deal with a fire.

(It’s worth noting we don’t know the exact nature of battery type that will be housed at this facility, but East Penn’s website shows their product range, which includes lead batteries and the newer lithium-ion batteries.)

What started as an “ordinary barn fire” turned into a 48-hour, round the clock situation involving local fire departments and hazmat, as well as a fire that continued to burn for several days.

This is a tiny storage building nowhere near large-scale suburban and/or residential neighborhoods; meanwhile, the proposal in our back yard stretches over 80 acres. See here, to scale:

To the south of this proposal is a major thoroughfare (which is already enough of a concern) and just off to the left of this image is a large residential area. There is one road, off a roundabout(!), being proposed as sufficient entry to this facility.

Not even including the increase in vehicle and truck/trailer traffic, how hard do you think it would be to get a fire under control in this proposed facility?

How hard do you think it would be to get sufficient emergency responders in and out of the property safely?

How hard do you think it would be to adequately contain the after-effects of an emergency at this property, knowing how it runs up against several established neighborhoods in Maidencreek Township?

How hard do you think it would be to keep the community safe?

This proposal is WRONG for Maidencreek Township, it is WRONG for our community and it is WRONG for our friends and families.

It is NOT a done deal.