News from Mosier

Sewers shut off, water aquifers dry as Mosier deals with oil train derailment aftermath

By Casey Parks | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The town's sewer system remains shut off. And the aquifers are dry, leaving the city's 430 residents without water reserves on a day projected to hit record high temperatures.
Burns said she's hopeful crews can work up temporary fixes Sunday, but Mosier won't return to normal any time soon.
"If this isn't solved," she said, "we'll all have to move somewhere else."
Burns and public safety officials began warning residents Saturday not to flush their toilets.

City of Mosier, Small Enough to Make a Difference!
The City of Mosier has issued a press release.

Union Pacific Says It Plans to Restart Train Traffic Through Mosier Before Oil is Removed from Derailed Rail Cars Along Track:

City of Mosier Passes Emergency Motion Calling on UPRR to Remove All Oil from Damaged Cars Before Traffic Reopened

The City of Mosier held an emergency meeting this afternoon and passed a motion objecting to Union Pacific’s plans to restart train traffic while derailed oil cars, many still full of oil, sit just feet
from the tracks in severely damaged condition. The City is calling on Union Pacific, as well as Gov. Kate Brown andOregon’s Congressional delegation to:

1. Remove all oil from derailed cars prior to starting any train traffic in light of the risk of igniting the damaged oil train cars;
2. Complete the investigation determining what went wrong and have it fixed before any oil train or other high risk train traffic resumes.

“The City of Mosier strongly objects to Union Pacific’s plans to restart running trains, including oil trains, as early as tonight through the derailment site where damaged oil tankers
continue to sit feet from newly laid railroad track,” says Arlene Burns, Mayor, City of Mosier. “Restarting trains before the high-risk carnage of their last accident is even cleared from the
tracks is telling Mosier they are going to play a second round of Russian roulette without our town -it’s totally unacceptable.”

“Everyone wants to see train traffic restarted, but we are very concerned about the safety of our town. The new tracks will be no safer than before the derailment and now we have tens of thousands of gallons of oil sitting in damaged rail tankers just feet away from the proposed new active track,” says Mosier City Council President Emily Reed. “They do not yet know what happened in this section of track to cause the accident on Friday so on what basis can they safely re-start running oil trains down this same section of track? This is literally hundreds of feet from our homes and school.”

Mosier, Ore., moves to halt traffic on rail line after derailment

via Seattle Times, Mike Carter and Daniel Gilbert
Union Pacific Railroad says it appears some sort of track failure caused the derailment of 16 oil tanker cars near Mosier, Ore., causing the fire and oil spill.Officials in Mosier, Ore., are objecting to Union Pacific’s decision to restart train traffic after a fiery oil-car derailment Friday prompted an evacuation and disrupted the town’s sewage and water systems.
Arlene Burns, Mosier’s mayor, said that the City Council passed a resolution Sunday calling for Union Pacific to halt train traffic until the derailed cars are removed and the investigation into the incident is complete. The company resumed running trains Sunday evening.
“We just think it’s way too soon for them to resume business as usual,” Burns said in an interview. “It seems utterly unreasonable.”
Justin Jacobs, a spokesman for Union Pacific, said the company had repaired the track and would continue to inspect it through the night. “We’re absolutely aware of the concern, and we’ll continue to work with the city,” he said, adding that trains are running at reduced speeds of 10 mph through Mosier as a precaution.



Oil train derails, catches fire in Columbia River GorgeOregon officials said Sunday night that an evacuation order had been lifted for Mosier residents, and the city’s wastewater treatment plant was operating after the removal of 10,000 gallons of oil. Residents can flush toilets but are still being asked to boil water for drinking.Earlier Sunday, Greg Svelund, a spokesman with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), said that “Investigators had discovered that the Mosier wastewater- treatment plant and sewer lines were nonoperational as a result of damage from the train derailment.”
Oregon environmental officials think they’ve contained oil that was leaking into the Columbia River from the derailed cars.
Sixteen tank cars, part of a 96-car train operated by Union Pacific railroad, derailed Friday. Four of the cars erupted in flames and burned until Saturday morning. A small quantity of oil leaked into the Columbia River, but that has been contained by booms, officials said Sunday.

Derailments and Disasters

Rail Cars derail in Central Park
The Daily World, Doug Barker

A train carrying grain to the Port of Grays Harbor derailed Tuesday afternoon in the Central Park area. There were no injuries and the train wasn’t in the immediate area of homes.

Thursday afternoon, workers were hauling rock to the site so that equipment could be brought in to lift the cars, said Josh Connell, general manager of the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad. Eight of the 100 cars in the train derailed, he said, with six on their sides and two still standing. The site, which is about a half mile south of Central Park Drive and two miles east of the Grays Harbor Country Club, is not accessible by road and rail officials would not allow the press to walk on the rail right of way to reach the scene, saying it was dangerous while crews were working.

Connell said they expect to have track open sometime Sunday.

The posted train speed on that stretch of tracks is 20 mph and the train was travelling 17 mph when it derailed, he said. “There was no human error, the crew was doing what it was supposed to be doing according to our procedures,” he said.

Connell said cars used to inspect the condition of the track had been through the area recently, and the ties were replaced in that area in 2014. Once the cars are lifted off the track, the company will inspect the track and that might help determine the cause, he said.

The last derailment on the line was in December, caused by two teenagers playing “chicken” at rail crossings in Montesano.

There were 10 loaded grain cars at the tail end of the train that were not affected by the derailment. The 80-some cars to west of the derailment were taken to the Port and unloaded, Connell said.

Connell said rail officials immediately notified state officials, who notified federal officials. There was no issue of hazardous materials being spilled, he said.

Oregon train derailment spills oil, sparks fire

KOIN 6 News Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An oil train has derailed near the Columbia River Gorge town of Mosier.

Aaron Hunt with Union Pacific Railroad says 11 of the cars derailed. Oil spilled from at least one car and caught fire. It is still burning.

The 96-car train was carrying Bakken crude oil to Tacoma, from Eastport, Idaho. Bakken crude is known for being highly volatile.

An aerial view of the smoke and fire from an oil train derailment in Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge, June 3, 2016 (KOIN)

A train that size weighs 13,000 tons and is 6,200 feet long, according to sources. No one was injured.

Silas Bleakley was working at his restaurant in Mosier when the train derailed.

“You could feel it through the ground. It was more of a feeling than a noise,” he said as smoke continued to billow from the tankers.

Bleakley said he went outside, saw the smoke and got in his truck and drove about 2,000 feet to a bridge that crosses the railroad tracks. There, he said he saw tanker cars “accordioned” across the tracks.

More links:

Seattle Times: Tacoma bound Oil train derails

KOMO News: 

Oil train derailment, fire in Columbia Gorge evacuates Mosier schools; I-84 shut down

KGW News No one injured as oil train derails in the Gorge; I-84 shut down

Oil Spills in Practice Drills and in Ocean Shores

The following article contains a timeline of the hypothetical response to a oil tanker spill. While this spill was make-believe, they could have easily come out to Ocean Shores and worked on an actual oil spill. Read on for what is happening on our shoreline this month.

Is Washington ready for the next big oil spill?

Samantha Larson April 25, 2016 via Crosscut

The drill scenario: It’s 5:45 a.m., and a boat has just left anchor off the coast of Vendovi Island, located between Lummi Island and Anacortes. But someone’s not paying attention, and so it crashes into another nearby ship. Both vessels are damaged; thick, heavy fuel oil begins to ooze into the water. By the time the crews have secured the leaks, about 2,100 gallons have leaked out of each boat. Now 6:30am, it’s time to launch the response plan 

“They’re well-equipped to handle a 4,000-gallon spill,” Eric Nalder, an investigative journalist who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his reporting on oil transportation, told Crosscut. But while the spill scenario practiced in the drill is certainly far bigger than most of the more than 4,000 oil spills reported to the Department of Ecology every year, it pales in comparison the Arco Anchorage’s 239,000 gallons, which itself is a fraction of the 11 million gallons spilled in the pristine Prince William Sound from the Exxon Valdez in 1989, or the 130 million gallons spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Sure, things have changed since then, but we’re not seeing less oil move through our waters – in fact, a report that came out last year predicts we’ll see 2,000 new oil tankers and barges in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to the expansion of rail-terminals and pipelines. Oil tankers carry as much as 55 million gallons of crude. While barges carry less — at most 14 million gallons — they still carry a lot, and they are far less regulated. A report released this month by Friends of the Earth, written by environmental consultant and recently elected Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Fellman, highlights the risks associated with the transport of Canadian tar sands oil across the Salish Sea.

photo via Dept of Ecology flickr page

On April 15th, Fishing Vessel  Privateer ran aground and sank, just off the breakers at Ocean Shores. After calling in a 8 to 12 inch gash to the boat, 3 crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard. 

The 75 foot fishing boat had a capacity for 5,500 gallons of deisel fuel.

 

April 16, 2016 12:30 p.m.Today the F/V Privateer remains aground, still intact although the hull is damaged and breached. It is estimated that 2,500 gallons of diesel, 500 gallons of lube/motor oil and 6 55-gallon drums (including waste oil) were on board. One drum has been recovered so far.

By Saturday, local residents were reporting a diesel smell, but no sheening or oil was seen on the beach. Choppy seas and a strong surf have prevented the salvage company from defueling and securing the boat.

April 20, 2016 9 a.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Ecology are continuing to respond to the F/V Privateer, which is aground on the outer beach at Ocean Shores, just north of the north jetty. The vessel owner's spill response contractor/salvage company, Global Diving and Salvage, is still on scene picking up debris when it comes ashore. Periodic reports of diesel odors in the area north and east of the vessels location persist, but the odor is considered a nuisance only.

Estimates for the potential to be released remain the same -- 2,500 gallons of diesel, 500 gallons of lube oil and six drums (including waste oil). One drum has been recovered so far. No estimate is available for the volume of oil that may have been spilled because of the inability to safely access the vessel.

A local commercial fisherman tells us that the barrels of used oils were on board the boat because The Port of Grays Harbor recently stopped accepting the used oil from out-going boats for secure disposal on land. This cost cutting move forces boats to store these barrels on board until a friendlier Port gives them a disposal option.

April 25, 2016 11:30 a.m.
Ecology and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to monitor the situation in Ocean Shores where the F/V Privateer remains grounded.
Due to safety concerns, gaining access to, defueling, and/or salvaging the vessel may is delayed until early May (6, 7, or 8) when tidal conditions are more favorable.
Since last week the diesel odor has lessened, along with the amount of boat debris being washed ashore.

According to the Department of Ecology, approximately  3,000 gallons of oil are lost, 
But Hey! The smell is gone, so the oils must be gone too!
At least one weekend Razor Clam dig has been cancelled, presumably the beaches won't re-open until the ship is removed.

We are currently in a 30 day comment period, for the renewal of REG's 5 year permit. We are asked to comment on the current permit, while REG continues to ask for a massive expansion to its operations, without adequite Environmental Impact Studies examinations. 
You might want to point out the ongoing sinking and oil spill that can't be addressed until the first week of May in your comment. 
Ask them why if The Port of Grays Harbor doesn't want to handle this small ammount of used waste fuel from ships, they are eager to sign off on permits allowing 2.7 billion gallons of Crude Oil storage here.

Ecology invites public review and comment on updated oil spill prevention plans.

Interested public, local and tribal governments are invited to review and comment on required 5 year updates to industry oil spill plans. These updates are required by the state’s oil spill planning regulations.

Washington Administration Code (WAC) 173-180 requires oil handling facilities to have a state-approved plan for prevention of oil spills from the facility into waters of the state, and for the protection of fisheries and wildlife, other natural resources, and public or private property from oil spills.

The following plan is now available for public review:

Name of company: REG Grays Harbor LLC Review starts: April 21, 2016
Review Ends: May 23, 2016 at the close of business (5 p.m.)

Provide comments by email to steven.ogle@ecy.wa.gov, or by regular mail:

Steve Ogle
Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program
Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600

Find more information about oil spill prevention regulations in Washington, visit: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/prevention/prevention_section.htm
For more information on plans open for public comment, visit:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/about_us/publiccomment.html
To review the plan, visit:
ftp://ecy.wa.gov/spills/PreventionPlans/REGGraysHarbor/REGGraysHarborPreventionPlan.pdf
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your comments. We will consider all comments and complete the review no later than 30 days after the close of the public review period.

BNSF Train Derails in Alma, WI, Voluntary Evacuation Lifted, Ethanol Spills in River

UPDATE: Train Derails in Alma, WI, Voluntary Evacuation Lifted, BNSF Working to Clean Up Leaks 

Updated: 11/07/2015 11:22 PM    KAALtv.com     video at site

(KSTP) -- UPDATE: Emergency crews were on the scene of a train derailment in western Wisconsin that closed highways and prompted a voluntary evacuation of nearby residents.

"Truthfully, I've always been concerned something like this might happen," said Patti Stinson of Buffalo City who was taking pictures of the train on Saturday.

A statement from BNSF Railway said 25 cars derailed roughly two miles north of Alma, Wisconsin, at approximately 8:45 a.m. Saturday.

"You assume the worst. You never know when it involves the water either," said Chief Deputy Colin Severson from the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office.

The cars included empty auto racks and tanker cars of denatured alcohol, more commonly known as ethanol, according to the statement.

"They're working on stabilizing the cars and cleaning them up," Severson said.

BNSF said there are no reports of fire, smoke or injuries. Parts of two state highways were closed due to the incident, but were then re-opened in the afternoon.

"In this case everybody responded very quickly," Severson said.

The Buffalo County Sheriff's office said the Alma American Legion was set up for those who left their homes.

Many locals say they had no idea there was potential for a serious threat, therefore staying put, disregarding the voluntary evacuation......   more here

 

Witness describes Alma train derailment

Five tankers leaked unknown amount of ethanol into Mississippi River

Updated On: Nov 08 2015   News8000.com      video at site

ALMA, Wis. (WKBT) -  No one is injured after a train derailed in Buffalo County Saturday morning.

Just before 9 a.m, the Buffalo County Sheriff's Department said 32 cars fell off the tracks near Highway 35 and County Road I, about 2 miles north of Alma.

The Sheriff's Department said five of the cars were carrying ethanol that leaked into the Mississippi River. The leaks have been contained, but officials are not sure how much ethanol entered the water........   more here

  

 

Breaking News

Oil train derails in Fayette County causing explosion, tanker cars in Kanawha River

Courtesy WSAZ-TV

This is what it looked like following the derailment from across the Kanawha River near Boomer in Fayette County.

via Metro News, audio at the link

MOUNT CARBON, W.Va. — Multiple tanker cars of a crude oil train derailed Monday afternoon near Mount Carbon in Fayette County.  Some of those cars went into the Kanawha River and are on fire. The derailment caused an explosion and the resulting fire destroyed at least one residence.The CSX train jumped the tracks at about 1:20.

see also:

Train Derailment Causes Fire near Montgomery, Evacuation Underway

FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ News) 2/16/15  -- A train derailment has prompted an evacuation just east of Montgomery.

According to 911 dispatchers, a train has derailed at Adena Village near Deep Water, near the Fayette-Kanawha line.

Right now, a mile and a half around the derailment is being evacuated by emergency crews, according to 911 dispatchers.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Department says a shelter has been opened at Valley High School. There will be transport for residents around 4 p.m.

Kanawha County 911 dispatchers tell WSAZ the train is carrying crude oil and several of the cars are in the river. 911 dispatchers say there was an explosion that caught a few homes on fire. WSAZ has also learned several train cars are also on fire.

Emergency crews say water systems from Montgomery, downstream have been notified to close their intakes. Crews also urge anyone who lives in a community with an independent water system, to conserve water......   more here