![]() ![]() ![]() The new report finds two key faults with the oil spill models submitted by Kinder Morgan as part of their application to the National Energy Board. The City of Vancouver, City of Burnaby and Tsleil-Waututh Nation commissioned the report by spill modelling experts Genwest Systems. On Friday morning, the City of Vancouver released their first new piece of evidence - a 2D computer spill model encompassing four scenarios of how oil might spread if spilled in Burrard Inlet. According to the report: “The potential liquid product release scenario stemming from an expected regional area seismic event would be catastrophic in nature, and has potential to release the contents of several if not all of the storage tanks simultaneously, overwhelming the facilities' retention provisions and flowing unrestricted to highly populated residential areas and sensitive environmental habitats.” A Bitumen-coated Shoreline in Less than 72 Hours The possible impact of an earthquake dumps even more fuel on the nightmare pyre. This cuts off road access to Simon Fraser University, exposing the thousands of people living, studying and working there to noxious burning bitumen fumes, including extremely toxic hydrogen sulfide. It spreads quickly through the close-set tanks, as flames burst across the tops of nearby trees and into the Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area. In these instances emergency responders would likely be forced to allow the tank fire to burn out while adjacent tanks are protected." – Burnaby Fire DepartmentĪ worst case scenario tank farm fire, as set out in the report, is legitimately terrifying: a fire breaks out in one or more of the tanks. Specifically, the configuration of the tank farm on a hillside in such a tight footprint would require firefighting personnel to operate in elevated positions above the tank, exposing them to potentially excessive heat and smoke outfalls. "In order to extinguish a tank fire within the Trans Mountain Tank Farm, emergency responders could be forced to significantly risk their personal safety in order to overcome the design inadequacies of the facility. The report notes that “the distance between storage tanks is a key design and engineering feature provided to allow firefighters to effectively isolate an active tank fire, preventing a multiple tank fire event” and that many of the potential tank fire scenarios within the Trans Mountain Tank Farm facility would be inextinguishable due to lack of safe firefighting positions. The closer the tanks are, the more likely it is that nearby storage tanks could to catch fire as well. When a fire occurs at the tank farm - and the report makes it clear that no company can make a 100 per cent guarantee they won't - it will have the potential to be more severe in magnitude, and pose a much greater risk to the public. In order to accommodate the increased output of the twinned pipeline, Kinder Morgan would need to increase the number of tanks at its storage facility from 12 to 26, adding 14 new larger tanks (one of which is a replacement).Īdding in the proposed new storage tanks on the existing site greatly reduces the buffer zone between the tanks, and moves them significantly closer to the public. Too Many Tanks, Too Little SpaceĪccording to the report, the largest potential risk to Burnaby lies in the addition of a large number of new tanks to the existing farm. ![]() ![]() This report clearly demonstrates that questions about the safety of this proposed tank farm expansion should be answered prior to any decisions being made by the NEB and that the Board should consider this an essential priority.”Įncompassing 60 pages, the report explores several scenarios where oil could spill and ignite at Kinder Morgan’s tank storage facility off Hastings Street, including a tank fire, explosion and a major earthquake. “It is remarkable that Kinder Morgan is even asking the citizens of Burnaby to assume such risks, but even moreso that the National Energy Board is willing to consider expanding this storage site in this location - on a hillside near thousands of residents and a busy university, and adjacent to an urban conservation area. The results, to quote Mayor Derek Corrigan, are “comprehensive and jarring.” Last Wednesday, the City of Burnaby quietly released a report outlining the risks and possible implications of a fire at the Burnaby tanker terminal. With the May 27 deadline for evidence submission to the National Energy Board’s review of the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project fast approaching, the cities of Burnaby and Vancouver are stepping up. ![]()
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