Letter From Daily Astorian March 7, 2008 LTE's:
Geological hazardsProposed liquefied natural gas projects for Bradwood Landing and Skipanon Peninsula both have serious geologic hazards associated with them.
The proposals call for construction of large tanks on the order of 150 feet high in areas that are underlain by as much as 370 feet of weak sediments that have back-filled the Columbia River canyon over the past 18,000 years.
In contrast to strong bedrock in the hills above the valley, these sediments have low seismic velocities that will amplify ground motions from a large earthquake. Experience shows that this will produce ground waves and reinforced harmonic oscillations that match the natural frequency of shaking of large structures, such as LNG storage tanks.
With five to seven minutes of prolonged shaking, tall structures will sway and roll horizontally and vertically with greater and greater amplitude until they are damaged, sometimes to the point of collapse.
I am concerned that the engineering profession has not developed the experience and skills to adequately address these unique hazards.
Frequently, engineers learn from their mistakes, as with the space shuttles and World Trade Center. Their experiences to date have been with short, albeit powerful, jolts of shallow crustal quakes, rather than with long-duration subduction zone events.
I am concerned that the LNG project sites are too dangerous and will be at risk of catastrophic failure and fire should the next subduction zone earthquake strike while they are operating.
A loss of these energy facilities will interrupt the delivery of natural gas into the interstate pipeline system and disrupt supplies throughout the West Coast, causing indirect but significant economic consequences.
It might take more than a year to repair the damaged infrastructure.
Moreover, seismically induced liquefaction of sands in the Columbia River will cause walls of the dredged channel to slump all the way to Portland, bringing river traffic to a halt for many months, further hindering energy delivery.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should pay close attention to this in their site review.
LNG facilities should be sited away from the public and on firm bedrock.
The finest geotechnical consultants should investigate the sites, and their findings should be critically reviewed by equally qualified specialists who have been hired to represent the public interest.
Permits should be granted only after geologic investigations prove the sites are safe, not before.
Siting the LNG projects has been based on the availability of convenient lands along the river corridor, regardless of geologic hazards.
Public safety should be the primary criterion for choosing LNG sites.
A better site would be on solid basalt bedrock at the now-defunct Trojan power plant site at Rainier, notwithstanding the inconvenience of moving LNG tankers that far up the Columbia.
Decisions to permit dangerous projects should always place community safety above convenience, tax revenues and a few extra jobs.
Thomas S. Horning - Certified engineering geologist - Seaside
5 comments:
I wil now go out on a limb and relate a story about Brownsmead from the 70's. Pacific Power was considering placing Trojan in Brownsmead. They put test pilings into the ground looking for bedrock. Gary Miller, who was and is still one of greatest dairyman I ever knew, told me that they went down over 500 feet and never hit bedrock. Needless to say Trojan was not located there. I was just last year at a presentation given by Mr. Horning. He is extremely knowledgable in his area of expertise. (earthquakes). But..., yes tall objects will magnify an earthquakes energy. Unfortunately for Mr. Hornings argument, an earthquake of that magnitude would destroy that facility and also drop every bridge, collapse every road and cause 100% devastation.
A destroyed LNG facility would really be just one of many major, deadly failures for our area. In real truth, a "near shore" event would liquify all our soil in this area and cause untold damage and death. And I stand 100% behind Mr. Hornings reputation. His letter just should have gone farther and explained that to cause that kind of damage to the LNG facility would have much greater impact upon our area.
LON
I am so glad you've reprinted this letter.
Everyone should read it.
I'd suggest the county commissioners and the planning commissioners read it, but I'm not sure they're capable of understanding anything without a dollar sign attached to it.
They are literally selling us down the river. If Bradwood succeeds, they will go down in infamy as the commission that sold out the Lower Columbia River, as well they should.
Since they don't have the courage to be ashamed of what they are doing, it will be left to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and generations to come to rightfully wear their shame and their blame.
Maybe they should think about 7.6 Million Cubic Feet times 620.
Even that is hard to see in the minds eye but just one storage tank could contain approx. 7.6 million cubic feet of Liquefied Natural Gas at -260 degrees F and if breeched, starts multiplying itself 620 times in vaporizing and spreading into the environment if the conditions are right, at the right moment, with the right spark.... Now we have a devastating earth quake with what amounts to a nuclear explosion added for effect.
But, that's just fear mongering isn't it?
Actually, maybe you should really read what they and their counsel have written and said. If the BOCC says no to Bradwood, Northern Star appeals to LUBA. LUBA then sends it back to the Commissioners and tells them that they haven't worked on the plan with Northern Star hard enough. It has nothing to do with dollar signs and you have not proven that point in the least. Northern Star has a legitimate claim for a rezone. LUBA would in all likelihood uphold that legitimate claim, according to land use counsel, and pass it back to the BOCC for consideration, demanding that they work towards "compatibility" as mandated. The commissioners are doing their job. They are locking in as much of an agreement with as stringent of conditions as the law allows. It is easy to hate demons. Not so easy to hate human beings that are following the laws as presented to them by their counsel. In order for this facility to be built, after the extremely minor zone change is made, Bradwood still must go through the permit process, getting Federal approvals, state approvals and finally County staff approvals on each and every permit step. The approval of the zone change in way ensures that the facility will be built any time soon, or at all.
Good advice coming from somebody unwilling to put their name out there which means the value of your opinion is worth nothing.
Who are you and how do you qualify your information?
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