Shenck Road resident Richard Szarko said he feared the tank, which will be fenced only around the valves, might be vandalized, possibly causing an accident or explosion.

"I am concerned if it would go to more gallons," said Szarko, the father of two children who attend nearby schools.

Before voting, however, supervisor John Bingham said the board had very little control over the matter.

"All we can act on is the land development plan," Bingham said.

The tract is zoned industrial, and propane facilities are regulated by the state Department of Labor and Industry.

"These people met all the requirements - we had no choice but to approve," supervisor chairwoman Susan Bernhardt said after the meeting.

Bernhardt, Bingham and supervisors R. Michael Wagner and Neil Kinsey voted 4-0 to approve the plan, including a condition recommended by the planning commission last month that the propane storage not exceed 60,000 gallons. Township attorney Stephen Kraybill advised supervisors that while the condition is binding on the current plan, future plans could be presented requesting an increase in propane storage capacity.

With the approval, Mount Joy-based Diversified Energy LLC can install the tank at the Hempfield Rail Terminal, 3901 Nolt Road.

One acre of the 30-acre plot is leased to Diversified Energy LLC for the project, said Mark Shipe, president of Amherst Industries, which owns the land.

Trucks picking up and delivering propane would use Links Avenue, which borders a residential neighborhood. A year ago, when the project was proposed, the Hempfield school board raised concerns about an explosion or a gas leak threatening students in four nearby schools, but the district has expressed confidence in the current plan.

Supervisor Heidi Wheaton abstained from voting to avoid a conflict of interest. Her husband, Paul Wheaton, owns Lancaster Propane Gas Inc.

Mr. Wheaton, who was called on by Wagner, said the tract is "no place for a propane terminal." He said he was approached to buy the land about 15 years ago, but turned it down because he considered putting such a terminal there irresponsible.

Before the vote, Kinsey read a prepared statement saying Mrs. Wheaton had "failed to heed" the advice of township legal counsel to remove herself from involvement with the proposal. Although she did not vote on the matter, Mrs. Wheaton did participate in parts of the debate.

Following the meeting, Mrs. Wheaton called the statement a political attack by Kinsey, who, she said, opposed her re-election two years ago.

Bernhardt said she believed Mrs. Wheaton had committed an ethics violation and that "I expected that she would come down and sit down here" during discussion of the proposal.

Mrs. Wheaton said she did not commit an ethics violation because she didn't earn any financial gain and that she was participating in the debate as a concerned citizen.

"I think it's unfortunate when supervisors attack another supervisor personally, and I'm dismayed and shocked by that," she said.

Also after the meeting, township manager George Marcinko said the township has submitted a resolution to the county Association of Township Supervisors, to be forwarded to the state association, requesting that townships regain more control over inspecting propane facilities.