Decision
A Mock Town Meeting On
A Proposed Tank. Far
m
INTRODUCTION:
Your class will represent all of the citizens who live and
work in a small town called Priceford. A major business
development company called Zanec Corporation has asked
Priceford for permission to install five 10,000 gallon
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) on their property just
outside of Priceford.
This proposed tank farm will supply fuel and manufactur-
ing chemicals to an existing Ball Bearing Factory. Your
class will divide into several groups each having very dif-
ferent interests, and will hold a town meeting to discuss
and vote on Zanec's proposal.
A O5JECT1VE:
Your class will gain experience in recognizing potential
hazards to a community's water supply and weighing the
risks and benefits of community development, and will
practice decision-making skills in a mock town meeting.
GENERAL PROCEDURES:
1. After reading over the activity's introduction and objec-
tives as a class, begin preparing for the town meeting by
randomly dividing your class into five groups.
2. Once the groups are formed, they should take (at home
or in class) the time they need to:
a. Study the facts of Priceford's water resources
b. Elaborate on their own special group's interests.
c. Discuss how each item of Zanec's proposal affects
their interests.
The background information each group will need for
these three tasks is given below. Each group should also
select its own spokesperson to represent the group's
interests at the meeting.
3. When each group is ready, the Town Council should call
the town meeting to order, read the Agenda and introduce
the Zanec and Business group to present their proposal.
Each other group should then be allowed to comment on
the proposal.
4. The Council will summarize the issues it believes to be
important, BRIEFLY support or refute each issue and then
vote on the proposal.
Priceford's Water Resources:
Priceford gets more than half its water from municipal and
private wells. The vulnerability of the underlying aquifer in
each quadrant of the map below was assessed in the
Resource Management Activity (use the vulnerability
"scores" calculated for the four quadrants in this activity).
Quadrant 1 is largely undeveloped in the Priceford area.
A small community, Riverville, is about 25 miles down the
river. This quadrant is least acceptable to Zanec due to
its distance from its property in Quadrant 4.
Quadrant 2 is largely farmland but also contains a small
community which relies on well water.
Quadrant 3 includes Priceford town center and all the
residential areas for the town's citizens.
Quadrant 4 contains a factory just north of Bucky's
Corner. Zanec proposes installing the USTs here.
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Special Group Interests
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1. THE TOWN COUNCIL - you must conduct the meeting,
listen to all the arguments, and decide what is best for all
citizens. Based on the facts you gather, the most logical
arguments made by any of the groups and your best judg-
ment, you will vote on whether to:
1) Allow Zanec to install the tank farm as proposed, OR
2) Allow installation only with certain changes in the
proposal, OR
3) Reject the proposal completely
2. ZANEC and the local BUSINESS GROUP n You must
stress the need to allow the Ball Bearing plant to expand
and to attract new businesses for Priceford's economic
well-being.
3. LOCAL HOME OWNERS - You are divided. Some desire
the new jobs and prosperity made possible by develop-
ments like this; others worry about the potential for water,
air and noise pollution; still others are concerned about
property values; and others are concerned about taxes
needed to meet the increased solid waste disposal and
sewage demands which are related to development.
4. SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT - Your local chapter of this
national group opposes the installation of any USTs until
extensive testing has been done and sufficient safeguards
are in place. You favor the least vulnerable (but least
accessible) site.
5. THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT - You are essen-
tially neutral as long as the proposed installation complies
with all county health laws and procedures. You must find
out whether the proposal meets these standards.
Zanec's Proposal:
i
Zanec is a major development company which has already
invested heavily in the Priceford area. The proposed tank
farm is only one improvement in its existing developments.
Zanec believes its proposal is in the interest of Priceford
for the following reasons:
The tank farm will allow the Ball Bearing plant to expand,
bringing about 250 new jobs to an area that has an
unemployment rate which is above the state average.
The company will bring revenues to Priceford, not only
through wages, but also through property taxes, income
taxes and more consumer spending by its workers and
their families.
The Ball Bearing plant expansion will be attractively
designed, well-maintained and an asset to the
community.
The UST Installation will comply with all current
regulations and is critical to whether Zanec can continue
to build in Priceford.
The new jobs will result in new home building and
increased property values.
Taxes paid by the plant will help finance school and road
improvements while helping to keep home owner's taxes
low.
Zanec requests permission to site its tank farm on its
property in Quadrant 4 (see map)
Town Meeting Agenda
This notice was published in the Priceford newspaper.
TO ALL CONCERNED PARTIES
An open meeting will be held for community review and
input on Zanec Corporation's proposed installation of
five 10,000 gallon underground storage tanks on prop-
erty to the Ball Bearing factory. All interested groups
are to have selected spokespersons who will each be
given 4 minutes to present their views. The public is
invited to comment on the following issues:
1. Should Zanec be allowed to install the USTs at the
proposed site?
2. If not, what alternative location is acceptable to all
parties?
3. What are the risks related to the proposal?
4. How can the risks be minimized to protect ground
water?
The remainder of the meeting will consist of a question
and answer period after which the Council will vote on
the proposal.
Location:
Time:
Priceford Town Hall
Friday Afternoon
The town meeting Agenda should serve as a guide for the
Town Council to conduct the meeting. As stated in the
notice the Council should allow each group only 4 minutes
to offer their views on each of the questions on the
Agenda.
When all groups have been heard, each Town Council mem-
ber may ask one question of one group. Finally, the
Council will vote on the proposal. The Council's vote
should be based to a large degree on the most logical and
persuasive arguments raised by the groups.
Office of Water (4606M) EPA 816-F-04-023 06/2004 www.epa.gov/safewater
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