By Allison Peck
A new helium extraction facility is one step closer to becoming a reality in northwest Lincoln County after county commissioners unanimously approved a Conditional Use Permit Tuesday, clearing the way for the project following weeks of review by the Lincoln County Planning Commission.
The proposed facility, located in the northwest portion of the county, is designed to process helium extracted from nearby natural gas wells. While commissioners ultimately approved the project, the decision came only after discussing concerns raised by neighboring landowners regarding truck traffic, county road conditions, groundwater and the potential for future expansion.
Much of Tuesday's discussion focused on how the project could affect nearby county roads.
Neighboring landowner Dan Fleehart told commissioners the area's sandy roads can deteriorate quickly with additional heavy truck traffic, even from a relatively small number of vehicles. He also voiced concerns about material he said appeared to have been discharged from a tanker truck during drilling operations, asking county officials to ensure any future activity is handled appropriately.
County Highway Superintendent Jason Schultz told commissioners the county is already performing additional maintenance on the road because of current activity associated with the project and believes those improvements will leave the roadway in better condition before the facility begins regular operations.
"I don't feel that it's going to have an impact on us for our operations and maintenance of it once all this other work gets out of our way and they start operation there," Schultz said, adding that ongoing maintenance remains the county's responsibility.
Commissioners also discussed whether additional permit conditions were necessary to address truck traffic, road maintenance and other operational concerns.
Planning Administrator Judy Clark said many of those protections are already built into the Conditional Use Permit process.
She explained that if the company significantly changes the project after approval—such as expanding operations beyond what was presented—it would be required to return before county officials for another review. Likewise, if the company fails to operate within the limits outlined in its application, the county has the authority to revisit the permit.
"They have to abide by what they submitted," Clark said. "If they say two to three trucks, then it's two to three trucks."
Commissioners also discussed concerns about possible dumping along county roads.
Clark noted that both county regulations and state law already prohibit those activities, while Sheriff Jerome Kramer confirmed any violations could be addressed through existing state statutes.
Following the discussion, commissioners unanimously approved the Conditional Use Permit.
The approval allows the helium extraction facility to move forward under the conditions presented to the county. Any significant future expansion or changes to the project would require additional county review through the Conditional Use Permit process.