LENOX DALE — Clifford Oil is about to become the only local outlet for liquid propane storage in the Berkshires.
Now that Berkshire Gas has sold out Berkshire Propane, Jeff Clifford said last week that he will be the only supplier of bulk propane in the Berkshires. He said he is increasing his fuel-oil storage facilities at 40 Willow Creek Road in Lenox Dale and starting a new propane business, Clifford Propane LLC.
The Selectmen awarded Clifford a license to install a liquid propane bulk plant and expand his fuel-storage capacity at a public hearing March 24.
“Jeff runs a first class operation. He keeps the place spotless,†said Selectman Terrence Field, who made the motion to approve Clifford’s license request.
The Selectmen and Fire Department must both approve a license to store hazardous material like fuel, Clifford said. In order to avoid any conflict of interest with his brother, Lenox Fire Chief Daniel Clifford, he said he has worked directly with State Fire Marshal Dave Beaudin on the permitting process.
Clifford Oil is at its capacity, and in months as cold as last January, it has strained at the seams, Clifford said. The storage tanks hold up to 30,000 gallons of fuel oil, and the company has shipped out 35,000 gallons in a single day at the peak of the winter cold, he said.
He plans to increase his storage to 70,000 gallons of fuel oil and 10,000 gallons of low-sulfur diesel. He plans to put a new 40,000-gallon storage tank underground, which will pump into the 30,000-gallon aboveground tank, he said.
In answer to Chairman Timothy Doherty’s environmental concerns, Clifford said the tank would be double-walled and electronically monitored to ensure against spills. It would also be protected by equipment such as an oil/water separator and catch basins. The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state fire marshal inspect Clifford's equipment every year and have never found a problem with it, according to local officials.
For his propane bulk plant, Clifford has licensing for 100,000 gallons, an amount he said is not as large as it might look on paper. That total covers both storage tanks and trucks on the property. He said he hopes to install two 30,000-gallon propane tanks and keep propane trucks and cylinders inside a chain-link fence on the property. He asked for a small amount of extra capacity, on Beaudin’s recommendation, to allow for growing room.
He added that he had talked to all of his neighbors, who had no objection to his plans, and to the owners of Caligari’s Hardware, a nearby business that supplies propane for gas grills. Clifford does not plan to supply propane in such small amounts, and the Caligaris did not feel that he was stepping on their toes, he said.
The Selectmen also granted Clifford permission to install the new underground tank 25 feet from the neighboring property, a town cemetery. Twenty-five feet is the federal standard for setbacks in industrial zones. Because that is a requirement of federal, not local zoning, the issue will not come before the Lenox Zoning Board, Town Manager Gregory Federspiel said. Federal authorities defer to the local licensing board, the Selectmen in this case.
The board praised Clifford for running a tight business and for rigorously maintaining his equipment and his property. Clifford thanked them for allowing his increased capacity and new business venture. He said his 60,000 gallons of propane storage will allow him to offer a fixed rate, and his 40,000-gallon oil tank will ensure no one in Lenox goes cold the next time the temperature drops below zero.
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Use of Slurs Sparks Community Conversation in Pittsfield
The discussion will be held Monday, May 11, at 6 p.m. at Conte Community School in partnership with the public schools, Westside Legends and the Berkshire chapter of the NAACP.
On Thursday, interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said the district recognizes the seriousness of concerns from students, families, and staff members in a statement to the school community.
"As interim Superintendent, I have a broad view across our school system and am hearing experiences and concerns from many corners of our community. From my 26 years in education, I know these challenges are not unique to our district. That said, this is our opportunity to do this work within our own schools and strengthen our public education system and culture," she wrote over Parent Square, which was posted on social media and the district website.
"I want to be clear that there is no place for derogatory or discriminatory language in our schools, whether in classrooms, hallways, on athletic fields, buses, or anywhere in our learning environments. We must address individual situations thoughtfully, fairly, and with care for everyone involved, while also committing to the long-term work of shaping school environments where every student experiences dignity, belonging, safety, and respect."
At this meeting, they will discuss how to best move forward together.
"Our students are watching how we respond," Phillips wrote.
"We have an opportunity to model what it looks like to address difficult issues with fairness, dignity, honesty, and care, and in doing so, strengthen our schools for the long term."
Last week, the Pittsfield Public Schools Human Resources Department confirmed that an 8th-grade teacher at the middle school was placed on leave. The teacher was reportedly describing a classroom incident when the slurs were repeated.
The complaint was publicly made by parent Brett Random, who is the executive director of Berkshire County Head Start.
On her personal Facebook page, she said her daughter reported that her math teacher, "used extremely offensive language including both a racial slur (N word) and a homophobic slur (F word) and then reportedly tried to push other students to repeat those words later in the day when students were questioning her on her behavior."
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