Scientists warn that Oregon could be in a nightmare situation if it doesn’t do more to protect its main fuel storage unit from major earthquakes, which are likely to occur sooner than expected.
Nearly 90% of the state’s liquid fuels are kept at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. It is located along a 6-mile (10 km) stretch of Willamette River in northwest Portland.
Oregon legislators began to take steps to force the operators and owners of the facility’s old storage tanks to make them earthquake-resistant this week.
The city of Portland and Multnomah county commissioned a new report. This indicated that the hub was built on soils susceptible to liquefaction during an earthquake.
According to a state report, the industrial area includes 46 large above ground fuel tanks, a storage facility for liquefied natural gases and pipelines. Some of the fuel tanks are over 100 years old and many were constructed at least 50 years ago.
According to the study, a major earthquake in the Cascadia subduction area would cause 95 million to 194 millions gallons (432million to 882million liters) fuels to gushes from the tanks. The water would spill into the Columbia River, where it would then flow to the Pacific Ocean, which is about 100 miles (160 km) to the northwest.
The damage predicted is comparable to the worst environmental disaster in American history when BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, releasing at least 134,000,000 gallons (609,000,000 liters) of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Oregon researchers stated that the fuel released is likely to cause fires and explosions. “If the fire spreads, there are serious threats to life, safety, and natural resources.
California is well-known for its earthquakes, particularly along the San Andreas Fault. Experts predict that one of the largest earthquakes in the world could strike any day along Cascadia subduction Zone, which runs from Canada to offshore Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Cascadia’s last major earthquake was in 1700. Its magnitude was 9.
Officials in Oregon recognize the danger and have taken steps towards mitigating it.
Great Oregon ShakeOut Day, held every year to help residents learn how to respond to an earthquake, is held each year. Gov. Kate Brown reminds people regularly to keep an emergency kit that includes at least two weeks worth of food, water, and other necessities. Warning signs for tsunami-zone areas are posted along coastal highways.
The Legislature prohibited the construction of emergency facilities and other public facilities within tsunami-prone areas in 1995. After coastal legislators stated that coastal residents and businesses would not be able get property insurance without the construction of new emergency services buildings in tsunami zones, the Legislature repealed this measure in 2019.
Oregon joined the U.S. Geological Survey’s early warning system in 2013. It uses seismographic sensors that detect major earthquakes quickly, so alerts can reach smartphones and people can seek shelter. The system is also used in California and Washington.
According to Chris Goldfinger (an earthquake expert and professor at Oregon State University), an earthquake of magnitude at least 7 is likely to occur off Oregon’s coast within the next 50-year period. He said that a magnitude 9 earthquake has a 10% to 15% chance occurring within this time frame. The magnitude 9.5 earthquake that struck southern Chile in 1960 was the largest ever recorded.
“We’re living in a ticking bomb,” said state senator Michael Dembrow, a Portland native and chief sponsor of the bill Monday at the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment public listening on the measure.
Dembrow stated that every time he passes the storage tanks, he gets a “nightmare view” of an earthquake striking. We know it will. The elected officials have to wonder: “Why did we ignore the warnings?”
He asked his fellow legislators, “If that happens, how can we live with ourselves?” He has been joined by two dozen other lawmakers in sponsoring the bill.
The American Society of Civil Engineers Oregon branch leaders testified that seismic resilience is crucial. They pointed out that fuel will be required to power generators, emergency vehicles, and equipment in the event of a major earthquake.
The Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub stores all of the jet fuel required for Portland International Airport. It is essential for planes that bring aid to Oregon to be able to refuel without it.
Mike Harryman was appointed by the governor to be Oregon’s first state resilient officer. He is charged with preparing for a Cascadia seismic event.
He stated that he was unaware of any seismic mitigation being initiated at the site by any owners or operators.
The bill would require bulk oil terminal owners and operators to submit seismic vulnerability assessments to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality by June 1, 2024. This would allow them to be reviewed and approved by the department. The department would approve the operators and owners of bulk oils and liquid fuels terminals to implement a seismic risk management plan.
Dembrow stated in an email that “how they do the work and what their timetable aren’t yet clear.”
Jessica Spiegel of the Western States Petroleum Association, an organization that represents companies in the oil and gas industry in five western States, including Oregon, stated that while the bill is expensive, federal funds might be available to offset it.
She stated that fees should be established to reflect the business needs of the state.
