A river on fire with millions upon millions of gallons od oil, jet fuel, gasoline. A disaster that ranks among the worst environmental catastrophes in America. There is no fuel for a state that is trying to recover from a major seismic event.
Scientists warn that Oregon could be in a nightmare scenario if it doesn’t do more to protect its main fuel storage unit from major earthquakes, which are likely to occur sooner than expected.
More than 90% state’s liquid fuels are kept at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. It is located along a 6-mile (10 km) stretch of Willamette River in northwest Portland.
Oregon lawmakers have begun taking steps to require the owners and managers of the facility’s aging storage tanks, to make them earthquake-resistant.
Multnomah and Portland have commissioned a new report. This report noted that the hub is built on soils that are susceptible to liquefaction in earthquakes. The water-saturated sediment would lose strength temporarily and act as a fluid.
According to a report by the state, the industrial area has 46 large above-ground fuel tank, a liquefied gas storage facility, and pipelines. Some fuel tanks date back more than 100 years, while others were constructed at least 50 years ago.
According to the study, a major earthquake near the Cascadia subduction zones would result in 95 to 194 million gallons (432 to 882 million liters), of fuels gushing out of the tanks. The spillage would flow from the Willamette River into Columbia River, and if it wasn’t contained would reach the Pacific Ocean, which is about 100 miles (160km) to the northwest.
The expected damage is on par with the largest environmental disaster in U.S. History, when BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, releasing at least 134million gallons (609million liters), of oil into Gulf of Mexico.
The Oregon researchers wrote that the fuel releases could cause fires and explosions. “If the fire spreads, there are very serious threats to human lives, safety, and natural resources.”
California is well-known for its earthquakes, particularly along the San Andreas Fault. Experts believe that one of the most powerful earthquakes in the history of the world could happen any day along Cascadia subduction zones, which run from Canada, Oregon, and Northern California to Canada. Cascadia had its last major earthquake in 1700. The magnitude was 9.
Officials from Oregon have taken steps to mitigate the threat.
Great Oregon ShakeOut Day is an annual event that encourages residents to learn how to respond to an earthquake. Gov. Kate Brown regularly reminds people that they should have an emergency kit that includes at least two weeks’ worth food, water, and other necessities. You can find warning signs along the coast about tsunami-zones.
1995 was the year that the Legislature prohibited construction of emergency and other public facilities within tsunami inundation zones. After coastal legislators stated that coastal residents and businesses would not be able get property insurance without new emergency service buildings, the Legislature repealed this measure in 2019.
The U.S. Geological Survey operated an early warning system for Oregon last year. It uses seismographic sensors that quickly detect large earthquakes. This alert system reaches smartphones quickly so people can seek shelter. The system is also used in California and Washington.
Chris Goldfinger, an earthquake expert at Oregon State University, said that an earthquake of at least magnitude 7 is 37% likely to occur off the Oregon coast in 50 years. He said that a magnitude 9 earthquake has a 10% to 15% chance occurring within this time frame. The magnitude 9.5 earthquake, which struck southern Chile in 1960, was the most powerful ever recorded.
“We’re living in a ticking bomb,” state Senator Michael Dembrow, a Portland native, stated Monday during the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment public listening on the measure.
Dembrow stated that every time he drives past the storage tanks, he has a nightmare vision of an earthquake striking. We know it will. The elected officials are left asking themselves: “Why did we ignore the warnings?”
“If that happens, then how do we live with our selves?” He asked his fellow legislators. He has been joined by two dozen other lawmakers in sponsoring the bill.
Leaders of the American Society of Civil Engineers Oregon branch said that it is vital that the facility be seismically resilient. They pointed out that fuel will be required to power generators, emergency vehicles, and equipment in the event of a major earthquake.
The Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub holds all the jet fuel needed to fly to Portland International Airport. Without it, aid planes to Oregon would not be able to refuel.
Mike Harryman was appointed by the governor to be Oregon’s first state resilience officers and is charged with preparing for a Cascadia seismic event. He said that Oregon will feel three punches, including the earthquake itself, the tsunami, and the “disaster” at the fuel hub.
He stated that he was unaware of any seismic mitigation being initiated at the site by any owners or operators.
The bill requires operators of bulk oils or liquid fuels terminals to conduct seismic vulnerability assessments and submit them by June 1, 2024 to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. They would then be reviewed and approved. The department would then approve the operators and owners of bulk oils and liquid fuels terminals to implement a plan for seismic risk.
Dembrow stated in an email that “how they do the work and what their timetable isn’t yet clear.”
Jessica Spiegel of the Western States Petroleum Association (a non-profit organization that represents companies in the oil industry in five western states, including Oregon), noted that although the bill entails substantial fees, federal funds may still be available to offset them.
She stated that fees should be established to reflect the business needs of the state.