CRUDE-BY-RAIL:DesignissuesAuthors:C.BartSullivanEE,AmirFirouzCE,SEArticle1:AnOverviewoftheCrude-by-RailprojectPreface:

AccordingtotheproposedValerocrude-by-railproject,100railcarsadayofBakkencrudeoilwillbedeliveredtotheBeniciaValerorefineryeveryday,365daysayear.AseachrailcarofBakkencrudeoilhasbeenshowntohavetheexplosivepoweroftwomillionsticksofdynamite,1webelievethatcitizensofBeniciashouldbeawareofandunderstandtherisksassociatedwiththeprojectasonlyonecrudebyrailaccidentinBenicia,orelsewhereassociatedwiththisproject,willnegativelyimpactBenicia,forever.Publicinformation:

AstheproposedValerocrude-by-railproject,ifimplemented,willtouchandimpactmanyliveshereinBeniciaandbeyond,wehavedecidedtowriteaseriesofarticlesaspublicinformationtohelpthepublicunderstandtherisksassociatedwiththecurrentengineeringdesignoftheBakkencrudebyrailoiloffloadingfacilityandstorage.ThisfirstarticleisageneraloverviewoftheValerocrudebyrailprojectcoveringgeneralrisksanddesignconcernsthatwillbeviewedinmoredepthinlaterarticles.2Keypoints:

DuetoBakkencrudebeingamorevolatilecompoundthanregularcrudeoil,thetransportationandstorageofBakkencrudehasspeciallogisticalconsiderationsandshouldbetreateddifferentlythanregularcrude.TheBakkenrailcarswillbepositionedwithinafewfeetoflocalbusinesses.Localbusinessesandpublicareasarelocatedwithintheblastzoneoftherailcars.MillionsofgallonsofBakkencrudewillbestoredinexistingtanks,whicharespacedveryclosetogetherandarelocatedwithinafewhundredfeetofBeniciaresidents,andinrelativelycloseproximitytoRobertSempleElementarySchool.

Bakkencrudeoilisaboutasexplosiveasgasoline:

Bakkencrudeoil(Bakkencrude)comesfromtheBakkenformation,whichisoneofthelargestcontiguousdepositsofoilandnaturalgasintheUnitedStates.TheBakkenformationisaninterbeddedsequenceofblackshale,siltstoneandsandstonethatunderlieslargeareasofnorthwesternNorthDakota,northeasternMontana,southernSaskatchewanandsouthwesternManitoba.3Duetothisrockstructure,Bakkencontainsaconsiderableamountofvolatilegases,whichmake1Bombtrains–thescariestthreatyoudidn’tknowabout(retrieved9/17/16fromhttp://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2016/Bomb-Trains/)2Mostoftheinformationforthisarticlemaybefoundathttp://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/index.asp?SEC=B7EDC93A-FFF0-4A14-9B1A-1C8563BC256A.3Bakkenformation:News,Map,videosandinformationsources(retrieved9/17/2016fromhttp://geology.com/articles/bakken-formation.shtml)

Bakkencrudeaboutasflammableandexplosiveasgasoline.4Thissimplymeansthatunlikeregularcrudeoil,forsafetyBakkenshouldbetransportedandstoredinmannersimilartootherhighlyflammableliquidssuchasgasoline.

AnaerialviewoftheproposedValerocrudebyrailproject:Figure1illustratesanoverviewoftheproposedcrude-by-railoffloadingandstoragelocations.5Asisillustratedinfigure1,theproposedoffloadinglocationoftherailcarscontainingtheBakkencrudewouldbelocatedadjacenttotheValeropropertylineparalleltoEastChannelroad.TheValerorefinerypropertylineisseparatedfromEastChannelroadbySulfurSpringsCreek,whichisasmallcreek.SulfurSpringsCreekisnotabufferzonebutisratherawildlifehabitatthatisaccessibletothepublicandisusedbypeopleforrecreationalandeducationalpurposes.Asillustratedintheupperrightcorneroffigure1,whentherailcarsarrive,theywouldbepositionedinalineparalleltoEastChannelroadinalocationafewfeetadjacenttotheValeropropertyfenceline,andpositionedwithinafewfeetofSulfurSpringsCreek,EastChannelroad,andexistingparkinglotsandtheirassociatedbusinessesthatfrontEastChannelroad.Asalsoillustratedinfigure1,theoffloadedBakkencrudewouldbepipedtoexistingcrudestoragetankfarmlocatedasshowninthelowerrightcorneroffigure1.Thetankfarmcontainscrudestoragetanksthatappeartobebetween100and220feetacross,andarecapableofstoringseveralmillionsofgallonsofBakkencrude.Asshown,theproposedBakkencrudetankfarmislocatedwithinafewhundredfeetfromBeniciahomes.

Moreover,areviewoffigure1showsthatthereisabufferzoneofundevelopedland(shownaslightgreenlinesforcolorandlightgrayforblackandwhite)onthewestandsouthsidesoftherefinery(exceptforthetankfarmonthesouth-eastcorner).TheproposedlocationsforthevolatileBakkencrudetobeshipped,offloaded,stored,andprocessedonthesitearelocatedonthesidesofValerorefinerywiththeleastbufferdistancetoadjacentnon-Valerobusinesses,onthenorthside(alongtheEastChannelroad)andthesouth-easttankfarmextension.Becauseofthis,thedesignseemstobeastepbackwardsintermsoflanduseplanning,attheexpenseofthesafetyofBeniciacitizensandlocalbusiness.

4WhyBakkenOilExplodes.(retrieved9/17/16fromhttp://www.sightline.org/2014/01/21/why-bakken-oil-explodes)“ThePHMSAfindingswerecorroboratedbytheindustry-orientedBakkenShaleblog,callingit“flammablelikegasoline.”The“flashpoint”—thelowesttemperatureatwhichignitioncanoccur—islowerforBakkenoilthanforlowergradecrudeoils,whichmeansthatBakkencrudeisparticularlyflammable.Thepostalsowarnsthatwhenflammablegasesaredissolvedinoil,theoilshouldbe“degasified”beforetransportation.”5Nov.2013ValeroAp.,Figure2-2

Figure1.

TheBakkencrudeoffloadingfacilityproposalpositionsrailcarsveryclosetootheronsiteexplosivefuelsourcesandoffsitelocalbusinesses:Figures2A-C,illustratethelocationandgeneraldesignoftheproposedBakkencrudeoffloadingfacility.Figure2AshowsanaerialviewofValero’sproposedBakkencrudeoffloadingfacility,6figure2Bshowstheplanviewoftheproposedfacility,andfigure2CshowsanaerialviewoftheproposedfacilityanditsproximitytoBeniciabusinesses,suchasConco,Praxair,Insightglass,andotherbusinesses.Asillustratedinfigures2A-2C,therailcarsdeliveringtheBakkencrudewouldbepositionedwithinabout200feetoftheseandotherlocalbusinessesthatfrontEastChannelroad.

Figure2A

6Valerocrudebyrailprojectplans(retrieved9/17/16fromhttp://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7BF991A639-AAED-4E1A-9735-86EA195E2C8D%7D/uploads/Project_Plans_ONLINE_VERSION.pdf)

Figure2B

Figure2C

ThedistancebetweenthelocalbusinessandtherailcarsiscriticallycloseconsideringthepotentialpowerofaBakkencruderailcarexplosion:

EachrailcarbeingusedtodeliverBakkencrudeisdesignedtoholdabout34,000gallonsofcrudeoil.7Duetotheirshapeandconstruction,railcarscanexplodeinprettymuchanydirection,soitisgoodtolookatthecasewherethecarexplodeslikeabomb,radially.Figure3showsamappingofradiantheatfromarailcarexplosion.8EachdottedcirclerepresentsthethermalenergythatwouldbeproducedfromanexplosionofjustoneoftherailcarsholdingBakkencrude.

Figure3alsoshowsthatSulfurSpringsCreek,EastChannelroad,andbusinessesfrontingEastChannelroadarewithintheblastradiuses(blastzones),whichcouldleadtoseriousinjuryordeathforpeoplelocatedinandaroundthosebusinesses,adultsandchildrenenjoyingSulfurSpringsCreek,andpeopletravelingalongEastChannelroadadjacenttotherailcars.Forexample,expertPhyllisFoxstatesinherreporttothecityofBenicia,that“….basedonthisanalysis,individualsalongEastChannelRoadandIndustrialWaywithinthethermalradiation5and10kW/m2circleswouldsufferseriousinjuriesandfatalities….”9

Inaddition,becauseofthecloseproximity,theadjacentonsitestoragetanks,railcars,andotherfacilitiesarewithintheblastzones.Forexample,figures2A-Cand3showthatcrudestoragetanks1739,1720,1716,1718,and1719arewithintheblastzones.Becauseofthecloseproximitybetweentherailcarsandthetanks,ablastfromarailcarfilledwithBakkencrudewouldlikelydamageand/orignitethefuelinatleastoneofthosetankswhichcouldleadtocatastrophicchainreactiononsiteexplosionswhichwouldlikelyextendoutsidetheValeropropertyline.

7DOT-111tankcar(retrieved9/17/16fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT-111_tank_car)8Figure7A.CommentsonValero’sAppealofPlanningCommission’sDenialofValeroCrude-by-RailProjectbyDr.PhyllisFox,Ph.D.,PE,April4,2016.9CommentsonValero’sAppealofPlanningCommission’sDenialofValeroCrude-by-RailProjectbyDr.PhyllisFox,Ph.D.,PE,April4,2016.Page31.

Figure3

Thecurrentproposeddesigndoesnotconsidervulnerabilitytoexternalattacks:

Unfortunately,duetotoday’sterroristactivities,terrorismandactsbyindividualsonsocietymustbeconsideredwhendesigningaprojectthatifattackedcouldleadtosignificantinjuryordeathofcitizens.Here,asillustratedinfigures2A-2C,thelocationoftheproposedfacilityandpositionofoffloadingrailcarsisdirectlyadjacenttoapublicstreet,EastChannelroad.Assuch,duetotherelativelyfragileconstructionoftherailcarsandtheirexplosivepowerwhenloadedwithBakkencrude,therailcarsarevulnerableandeasytargetstoattackfrompersonspositionedoutsidetherefinery.Forexample,itwouldbeeasyforapersontopositionhimselforherselfonEastChannelroadandfireaweaponatoneormoreoftherailcars.PleasenotethataconsequenceofthisaddedvulnerabilitywouldlikelyincludecountermeasurestorestrictaccesstoareasadjacenttotheoffloadingfacilitytherebyerodingcivillibertiesofBeniciabusinessesandresidentstoaccesspublicandprivateareasofthecity.DuetothechangefromregularcrudetoBakkencrude,theBakkenStoragetanksarespacedveryclosetogetherandtooclosetothepublicforpublicsafety:Figure4providesacloseraerialviewoftheBakkencrudestoragetanks.Thestoragetanksrangefromabout100feettoabout220feetindiameterandarespacedabout200feetapart.Thesetankswereoriginallydesignedandspacedtoholdregularcrudeoil.DuetothechangeinoilfromregularcrudeoiltomuchmorevolatileBakkencrude,thesestoragetanksdonotseemtobespacedfarenoughaparttomitigatetheeffectsofaBakkencrudeexplosion.Forexample,accordingtoareportfrom“WorldAcademyofScience,EngineeringandTechnology”tomitigatetheeffectsofanexplosionthesaferecommendeddistancebetweentanksholdinggasolineisbetween181metersto904meters(594feetto2,966feet).10Further, one of the accident scenarios mentioned in the environmental impact report (EIR), a thermal tear, could result in injuries and fatalities at the nearest residence at Lansing Circle, approximately 2,000 feet northwest of the northern end of the Project site. An accident at Tanks S-1701 to S-1708, which would store the imported crude oil, could additionally result in injuries and fatalities in the Hillcrest neighborhood, about 1,000 feet from the nearest residence on Hillcrest Avenue.11 These accident scenarios should be considered.

Whattodonow:

IfyouareconcernedaboutValero’scrude-by-railproject,pleasecontacttheBeniciacitycouncilmemberstovoiceyourconcern.ThecontactinformationforthecityofBeniciacitycouncilmaybefoundathttp://www.ci.benicia.ca.us.

10WorldAcademyofScience,EngineeringandTechnologyInternationalJournalofChemical,Molecular,Nuclear,MaterialsandMetallurgicalEngineeringVol:8,No:2,201411CommentsonValero’sAppealofPlanningCommission’sDenialofValeroCrude-by-RailProjectbyDr.PhyllisFox,Ph.D.,PE,April4,2016.Page27.

Figure4