opinion
april17
2014
Voices From the Crowd: Luck Helped Avert Disaster
By Don B. Hennig
Very lucky twice in 90 days,
what is number three?
The Columbia River Gorge, the
river itself, and the 600’ wide and 48’
deep navigation channel are essential to
the people, economies and environment
of three states. Over 30 million people,
10 million jobs and 250,000 square
miles. Almost a quarter of the nation’s
wheat is barged down the Columbia
each year. And much, much more.
Two recent events would have
been national news events, if not for
extreme good luck. In the oil train
event in Clatskanie, OR, only 10 feet
(one track width) and the fact that the oil
train was stationary (talk about luck!)
avoided catastrophe. The LNG event in
Plymouth, WA, and Hermiston, OR is
ongoing.
Because the Plymouth LNG
tanks are relatively small “peaking”
tanks, in a remote area, (sorry locals)
and well bermed, (surrounded by a
liquid spill containment wall), a “worst
case” outcome in Plymouth is likely
better than a “best case” outcome had
the Clatskanie oil train been one track
closer or even slightly moving.
The Pacific Northwest’s first
case of extreme good luck is described
(1/21/14, r.davis@oregonian.com) in
the Oregonian.
A massive 300-ton engine being
delivered to a Portland General Electric
power plant near Clatskanie fell off
a truck and struck a loaded crude oil
rail car Tuesday morning, causing only
minor damage. The luck part!
No injuries were reported. The
steel tank car didn’t rupture or explode.
No oil spilled. Bakkan tanker “crude”
can be more volatile or explosive than
gasoline.
The accident, which happened
160 feet from the Columbia River,
underscored the risks posed by oil
trains in Oregon. Regulators were
caught flatfooted by the arrival of
trains carrying dozens of cars filled
with potentially explosive North Dakota
crude oil in 2013. Last year, 110 oil
trains traveled through Portland en
route to the Columbia Pacific Bio-
Refinery, which exports up to 600,000
barrels to West Coast refineries each
month.
The engine, which is 20 feet
tall, 50 feet long and 13 feet wide, was
inching along on a specialized heavy-
load trailer when it “literally tipped
off the truck and went plop,” said
Steve Corson, a PGE spokesman. The
engine landed on empty train tracks,
but left a dent in a tanker of crude oil
sitting stationary on adjacent tracks.
If the train was moving at all, or even
stationary on the nearer track, a “dent”
in the oil tanker rail caused by a falling
300 ton metal object translates to a
rupture, friction, and an explosion likely
much worse than the July 2013 Lac-
Megantic, Canada event that killed 47.
The Claskanie train was waiting
to unload to much larger terminal tanks.
It was almost “Good Bye
Clatskanie.”
With an LNG “spill” or other
“LNG event”, the danger comes both
from chemical (or rapid combustion)
events and mechanical “explosions”.
LNG is methane or natural gas which
has been compressed and cooled until
the gas becomes liquid. Liquefied
Natural Gas. When a “super cooled” or
cryogenic liquid like LNG is exposed to
the environment in a “tank spill,” two
things will always happen. The liquid
LNG will rapidly become gaseous
(plume formation) by absorbing
energy from everything it contacts;
the ground, air, structures, paving and
the “worst case contact” is with water.
Because water provides large amounts
of energy efficiently. Or ignition
occurs immediately. See “flame heat
adsorption” below.
Berms don’t contain gas plumes
or explosions.
An LNG spill onto a body
of water is a dramatic event. Google
“Sandia Labs LNG Fire Tests.”
An LNG tanker fatally engulfed
by an ignited spill plume, in the
navigation channel, is truly a “worst
case event.”
An LNG gas plume is a cold,
dense, invisible (unless water vapor
is present to condense), “cloud”
which will “flow” out in all directions
circumferentially in still air or move
downwind until an ignition source is
encountered.
An LNG plume from a large
tank source, if not immediately ignited
by cause of the leak, can “flow for
miles.” Like across a river, or a bay.
The effects of ignition of a
miles long LNG plume are unknown
and difficult to imagine. A cubic foot of
LNG rapidly expands to over 600 cubic
of gas without combustion. Rapid gas
creation from rapid absorption of energy
creates a mechanical “explosion.”
Exposure of a large LNG spill pool in
the containment berm to flame from a
tank ignition creates an unknown and
extreme condition of combination of
combustion explosion and mechanical
(rapid change of state) explosion.
For LNG “events” we have not
yet experienced the first “big one.”
Mr. Peter Hanson, LNG
export
industry
spokesperson,
(4/2/14, Oregonian p. A2, “Blast...”,
t.sickenger@oregonian), boasts that
the LNG in the berm around “shrapnel
ruptured” LNG tank (what caused the
explosion that generated the shrapnel?),
“did not catch fire - let alone explode.”
He was lucky. Williams Northwest
Pipeline, a partner to Hanson’s Oregon
LNG, was just lucky. We were all just
lucky...again.
The LNG industry does not
have a “stellar safety record.” This is
propaganda. Google “LNG Tanker
Adrift, Maritime News.” Hanson
crows, “real certified experts” (his
experts) have evaluated vapor dispersal
issues and that the company expected
federal approval.” He is referring to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) the industry watchdog turned
lapdog.
Current reports from an
industry “team of experts” brought to
Plymouth that, “Gas gas is still leaking...
as the puncture repeatedly freezes
over, then thaws.” is not encouraging.
Both events occurred literally within
shouting distance of the Columbia River
shoreline...and the economic lifeline of
three states.
Most VERY big events are
“VERY rare” (Hanson), and most big
“events” start with small events. This
is called “cascade failure” and “cascade
failure” is a common root cause of many
of largest industrial accidents. Google
“Cascade Failure.”
It is not the rarity of an event,
Mr, Hanson, it is the severity of the
outcomes of an event that deserves our
attention. And concern. And action.
Don Hennig is a 40 year Professional
Engineer who investigated and
performed calculations for New York
State Public Utility Commission
addressing LNG Facility Safety Issues.
Including Cryogenic Tank Integrity
and Plume Dispersal Issues. Hennig
personally investigated an LNG fire at
Brooklyn Union Gas Plant in 1973. He
lives in Gales Creek, OR.
3
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Chip Bubl
Tobie Finzel
Don B. Hennig
Steven Leskin
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Aaron Miller
Jennifer Moloney
Grant Williams
Photography
Stainakers Photography
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 1st and 3rd Thursday
of each month.
Vernonia’s Voice, LLC
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
www.VernoniasVoice.com
FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES
IN AND AROUND THE
VERNONIA AREA
Polife and County personnel are required
to use a rotation of available providers,
UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK
for a servife by name.
REQUEST TOWING SERVICE FROM
Shop Hours: Mon - Fri 9:00 - 6:00
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7
Lady’s Night Wed 5-12
Cedar Side Inn
“STILL BIKER FRIENDLY”
Open Mic Night
Live Music
Saturday, Amril 19th
Karaoke
2nd & Last Friday Night
April 26
Dixie Wrecked
Taco Tuesday
from omening until 9mm
3 hardshell or 1 softshell $4.25
Ping Pong
Every 2nd & Last Sunday
iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events
756 Bridge Street, Vernonia
503-429-5841
• Specialty hamburgers
• Draft beer & mixed drinks
• Pool tables & satelite TV
• Special live music events
• Free Wi-fi
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight •
733 Bridge St, Vernonia
May 24
Third Member
Beer & Kegs to go
Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM
• 503-429-9999
