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Thursday, January 9, 2003
One START and One EPA FOSC are on site.
Initial information indicated a 94 car train derailment near I-84 exit 82, and that the local fire department had set up a command post.
Friday, January 10, 2003
Two START members and One EPA FOSC are on Site. EPA OSC Callaghan and START member Whitchurch arrive on site and report to the scene of the derailment. The scene was closed to all personnel except the GFES Hazmat team, who were inspecting the derailed train.
EPA and START reported to the established command post located at the Mid Columbia Fire and Rescue fire house (MCFR). UPRR Superintendent Ken Hunt was in charge of the UPRR activities. Mr. Hunt provided a consist list for the train along with some background information. Following the Gresham Fire and Emergency Services Region Hazmat Team (GFES) entry and inspection, a debriefing was held at the command post. The Hazmat team verified the presence and condition of the five rail cars carrying hazardous materials, along with the condition of the cars carrying soybean oil. GFES reported that the phenol car had overturned, but appeared to be intact, the anhydrous ammonia and arsenic acid cars were derailed, but upright and apparently undamaged, and the vinyl acetate car was fully intact and not derailed. GFES also reported that several tank cars had breached and spilled soybean oil, but the oil was apparently solidifying in the cold air into a white semi-solid.
Following the GFES debriefing, OSCs Callaghan and Renz, STM Whitechurch reconnoitered the scene. Because of the darkness, little information could be gathered, but access routes were determined, the presence of spilled soybean oil was confirmed, and the condition of the arsenic acid car was verified. Further activities at the site by EPA and DEQ were suspended at approximately 0500 hours until sunrise because of safety concerns and inability to gather further usable information.
After sunrise, EPA, DEQ, and START reconvened on site to further inspect the scene and recovery efforts. A survey along the length of the train was conducted between approximately 0820 and 1100 hours. The condition of the phenol car was observed; the car had fallen from the track about 20 feet down into the trackside ditch, next to I-84. The car's outer jacket was battered and the car lay upside down. No spilled material was observed, but hidden leaks could not be ruled out. Because the melting point of phenol is 109 degrees F, it was suspected that the contents of the car were beginning to solidify, and any leaks that might have occurred would likely solidify quickly.
The two anhydrous ammonia cars were observed to be upright and fully intact. The rail car was derailed though there appeared to be no imminent danger involving these cars.
The arsenic acid car was also observed to be fully intact and upright , with the front wheels derailed.
The vinyl acetate car was observed near the front of the train. It did not derail and did not present any imminent danger. The car was parked, with several other cars and the locomotives, on an elevated grade next to the Columbia River. Access to this section of track was restricted by a cliff, and by re-railing operations further east along the route.
GFES and MCFR discontinued operations in the morning because UPRR had sufficient resources on site, and the operations had changed from emergency response to recovery phase. EPA and DEQ decided that a Unified Command structure would not be used at this time, unless it appeared that the incident was proceeding in a manner not acceptable to EPA and DEQ.
UPRR and it's contractors began recovery operations at daylight. UPRR provided a supervisor for general non hazardous recovery operations (EricWatkins) and separate supervisors for hazmat recovery (Rick Sloane).
After approximately 1330 hours, OSC's Callaghan and Renz and STM Whitchurch initiated a rest period until 1600 hours, at which time an additional site inspection was conducted. STM Shin was mobilized to the site from Seattle to provide START relief. At 1600, OSC Renz and STM Whitchurch surveyed activities at the west end of the derailment, which included removal of wrecked soybean oil tank cars and work-light deployment. OSC Callaghan oversaw activities at the east end of the site.
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Two START members and one EPA OSC on site. UPRR conducted recovery operations during the night, including removal of damaged railcars from the track right of way, regrading of the railbed, and re-installation of sections of the damaged trackway. Additional assessments of the hazmat railcars were conducted. The vinyl acetate car, along with several other cars and the locomotives were moved to a holding location west of the derailment site. The arsenic acid and anhydrous ammonia cars were rerailed onto an undamaged section of track. The phenol car's position was unchanged, but debris around it was being cleared, and further assessments of damage to the car were conducted. A temperature reading of the inner containment vessel was determined to be approximately 55 F, and no leaks had been detected. UPRR was planning to remove parts of the outer jacket on the rail car in order to make a more comprehensive assessment on potential damage to the innermost shell and the heating coils surrounding the tank. UPRR also indicated the car was a newer design, constructed of higher-tensile steel, which improved the car's survivability. EPA OSC Callaghan directed UPRR to provide a written recovery plan for the phenol car prior to recovery operations.
Following these assessments, OSC Renz departed the site until Monday, January 13, 2003.
USFS representatives were on site briefly to investigate removal of soybean oil contaminated soils. They did not provide contact information, but asked START to ascertain total quantities of soil removed for disposal. They indicated they would contact STM Shin at a future date.
STM Whitchurch and Shin conducted shoreline assessments (SCAT) along Taylor Lake, Gooseberry Creek, and the Columbia River backwaters adjacent to the site. No evidence of oil or immiscible material was observed.
FOSC Callaghan met with US Forest Service Managers Rick McClure and Marge Dryden at approximately 1530. The Forest Service was acting on behalf of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Columbia River Gorge Commission. Marge Wernz was also in attendance and represented The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Tribe of Oregon. Rick McClure with the USFS informed OSC Callaghan that the derailment involving the soybean oil cars may have occurred within the boundaries of culturally sensitive site.
All of the hazardous containing rail cars, with the exception of the phenol car, were re-railed and pulled off site. The railroad was opened for transportation late Saturday evening.
The recovery efforts are currently ongoing. The phenol rail car, because of its condition and position, will require special continued handling.
EPA, DEQ, and START will maintain a site presence until the phenol car and its contents are stabilized, any oil contaminated soils removed and Tribal and Trustee concerns addressed.
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Four START members One EPA OSC are on site. No Union Pacific representatives are on site. Two contractors to the UPRR are on site: Hulcher Services Inc and Rick Franklin Corp. Hulcher continued to work on the phenol car at the east end of the derailment. They continued to repair the damaged top and bottom fittings of the phenol car and to remove excess debris from around the car to facilitate removal of the tank material and to repair the top-operating liquid eduction fitting. Rick Franklin Corporation (RFC) was on site determining next steps.
Monday, January 13, 2003
Four START members and one OSC on site. Hulcher Services Inc continued to work on the phenol car to stabalize, upright and lift the car. They removed the jacket material from the A end of the car for inspection, and finally repositioned the phenol car to an upright position.
RFC worked on building a gravel road on site.
At 1400 USEPA, US Forest Service, USACE ,ODEQ, and RFC met to discuss on site issues. A two hour site tour was lead by Rick Franklin to discuss next steps. Discussions included the permitting necessary to proceed with salvage recovery. The USFS informed UPRR that permitting needed to be acquired for any actions outside the emergency response. All site activities were stopped for Tuesday January 14, 2003 until further discussions could be conducted.
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
Three START members and One FOSC on siteEPA, FS, ODOT, UPRR, ODEQ, and Tribal Representatives met from 1000 to 1800 hours to discuss next steps.
Unified Command was established.
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