Every little nick, if neglected, could be a time bomb.
Hoping to avoid a repeat of the deadly 1999 gasoline pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Olympic Pipe Line of Renton is planning to replace a nicked section of the main gasoline line that runs underneath the Stillaguamish River between Island Crossing and Arlington.
Company officials hope to install the new section sometime this summer, Olympic spokesman Bill Kidd said.
Two boys and a man were killed in the Bellingham explosion of a section of Olympic’s pipeline. Excavations during a 1994 construction project were determined to have caused the damage that led to the explosion, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.
The metal gave way under the extreme pressure used to move the gas through the pipe.
Ever since, inspections and maintenance have tightened for the pipeline, which carries the equivalent of 1,500 tanker trucks of fuel every day down the I-5 corridor, Kidd said.
The nick in the section under the river is tiny and only detectable because of the modern testing instruments being used now, he said. Residents have not been in danger from such nicks since 1999, because the company reduced the pipeline pressure ever since the explosion, he said.
"It’s absolutely no concern at the pressure the pipeline is running at, but the pipeline is not running at full pressure at this point," Kidd said.
The company would eventually like to switch back up to full pressure, but not until safety inspections and repairs are complete, he said.
Unlike Bellingham, the damage at the Island Crossing section was probably not caused by digging, given its location under the river. It might have happened when the pipe was initially pushed through, but Kidd said it’s hard to tell.
Replacing the section under the river will be tricky. The company must drill a hole parallel to the existing pipeline 100 feet below the riverbed. Test pipes will then be threaded through and monitored to see if any rocks have scratched them.
The project requires permits for grading and shoreline protection, said Randy Sleight, chief engineering officer for Snohomish County.
"It’s not a cheap or easy thing to do," Kidd said.
Steve Winchell can attest to that. Winchell owns 9 acres of land north of the river, and the pipeline crosses part of his property.
The first time the company tried to thread test pipes under the river, in 2002, it didn’t go very well.
Sinkholes developed, exposing the pipeline in some areas, after crews drilled through sandy pockets in otherwise firm soil. One neighbor’s well almost dried up, although the effect was temporary.
The threat to the rural area’s wells still concerns Winchell. The safety of the pipeline does not bother him as much, because he trusts that the company is trying to make the necessary repairs in good faith. Sending gasoline through a pipeline is safer than sending 1,500 tanker trucks down I-5 through heavy traffic every day, Winchell said.
"I do agree with what they’re doing," Winchell said of the pipeline repairs. "But my biggest concern is, we keep asking them, ‘What assurance do we have that you’re not going to affect my well?’"
Winchell asked the company at a recent meeting to guarantee compensation for damaging wells by setting aside some compensation money for each property owner, payable only if a well fails.
Company officials have not responded so far, Winchell said.
If Olympic gets the permits in time, the company plans to replace the damaged section sometime between July and October, Kidd said.
Reporter Scott Morris: 425-339-3292 or smorris@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
