By ANDREW SELSKY. Associated Press
A river on fire, containing millions of gallons worth of oil, jet fuel, and gasoline. An environmental disaster ranked among the worst in America. A state trying to recover after a major earthquake has no fuel.
Scientists believe Oregon is in danger of a catastrophe if it does not work to strengthen its main fuel storage facility against major earthquakes.
More than 90% state liquid fuels are stored in the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub along a 6-mile (10-kilometers) stretch of Willamette River, 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.
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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 natural gases storage facility, and pipelines. Some fuel tanks date back more than 100 years, while others were built at least 50 year ago.
The study found that 95 million to 194million gallons (432million-882 million liters), of fuels would be released from the tanks in the event of a major earthquake at the Cascadia Subduction Zone. It would flow from Columbia River to Willamette River and reach the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles (160km) to its northwest.
The estimated damage is on par with the largest environmental disaster in U.S. History, when BPs Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010. It emitted at least 134,000,000 gallons (609,000,000 liters), of oil into Gulf of Mexico.
According to Oregon researchers the fuel releases could cause fires and explosions. There are serious risks to human safety, life and property if the fire spreads beyond one property.
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’s last major earthquake was in 1700. It was estimated that it had a magnitude of 9.
Officials from Oregon have taken steps to mitigate the threat.
Oregonians are encouraged each year to participate in Great Oregon ShakeOut Day. Gov. Kate Brown reminds people to keep at least two weeks’ worth of food, water, and other necessities in an emergency kit. Warning signs for tsunami-prone areas are posted along coastal highways.
In 1995, the Legislature prohibited construction of emergency and other public facilities within tsunami inundation zones. It repealed the measure in 2019, after coastal legislators claimed that without new emergency services buildings coastal residents and businesses wouldn’t be eligible for property insurance, which could cause property values to drop.
Last year, Oregon joined an early warning system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. It uses seismographic sensor technology to quickly detect major earthquakes so that alerts reach smartphones and people can seek refuge. 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 within 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.
State Senator Michael Dembrow, a Portland native, stated Monday that we are living with a ticking bomb during the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment public listening on the measure.
Dembrow said that every time he passes the storage tanks, it gives him a “nightmare view” of the earthquake.
How can we live with ourselves if that happens? He asked his fellow legislators. He was joined by two dozen others to sponsor the bill.
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ Oregon branch stated that seismic resilience is crucial. They also noted that after a major earthquake fuel will be required to power generators, equipment, and vehicles for rescue and emergency personnel.
All the jet fuel for Portland International Airport can be found at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. Without it, planes carrying aid to Oregon wouldn’t 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 said that he is unaware of any seismic mitigation having been initiated at the site by any owner or operator.
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 owners and operators to implement a seismic risk management plan.
Dembrow, in an email, said that it wasn’t yet clear how they do the job and what their timetables are.
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.
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