Tank the Tanks

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

SEISMIC VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT SCORECARD

(LINNTON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION)


In 2022, after a decade of scientific reports of potential catastrophic dangers from a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake–collapse,

spills, fires, explosions–SB 1567 was signed into Oregon law.  DEQ was given oversight. The first step was requiring the largest fuel

storage/distribution facilities in 3 counties –Multnomah, Columbia, Lane–to assess their vulnerability from a 9.0-magnitude

earthquake.   All facilities submitted Seismic Vulnerability Assessment (SVA’s) reports to DEQ by 6.1.24.


Linnton Neighborhood Association believes the risks that the CEI Hub poses to our communities and beyond should be clear. The

scorecard below is based on facility statements.  The Tank the Tanks (TtT) Score reflects the facility’s responses.


SCORECARD CATEGORIES

  • Structural Stability: Can fuel tanks and pipelines remain intact in a seismic event?  
  • Soil Stability: Will liquefaction of soil (making it liquid) result in settlement, spreading, and flow of soil add to risks and environmental damage?
  • Containment:  Can fuel spills be contained and kept out of the river. The EPA requires walls be designed to contain a spill from only the single largest tank, not multiple tanks.
  • Fire Response Controls: Will facilities’ fire response equipment work? They depend on vulnerable city water lines.


The Tank the Tanks (TtT) Score reflects the facility’s responses: 

  • A+ (Acknowledges & Addresses Risk)
  • A (Acknowledges Risk)
  • D (Denies Risk)
  • I (Incomplete Report)
  • F (Fails to Assess Risk)



* Extensions requested:

  • Cascade Kelly-4-6 mos.
  • Phillips-15/16 mos.
  • McCall-14 mos.
  • PacTerm-12 mos.
  • NW Natural-Dec 2024

**Vigor signed an enforceable order to decommission tanks by 2028.

***Used undisclosed standards.


Disclaimer: Scorecard is based on company statements only; engineering analysis was not evaluated.

Zenith, Big Oil Push Back Against CEI Seismic Risks.


When the Cascadia earthquake hits, the ground along the Willamette River will “liquefy” -- with significant ground settling, spreading or sliding into the river -- admit the companies that own hundreds of large fuel storage tanks in the 6 miles from NW Portland to Linnton beyond the St Johns Bridge.  But, not all agree that the potentially 9.0 shaking will damage the tanks, most of which were built many decades ago, long before earthquake safety standards.   

 

The 13 companies with fuel storage facilities at the Critical Energy Infrastructure(CEI) Hub, which holds 90% of Oregon’s fuel, plus the Portland Airport, submitted “Seismic Vulnerability Assessments” (SVAs) to DEQ on June 1.   A 2022 Oregon law required that certified engineering firms evaluate the risks a Cascadia earthquake posed to their facilities, including spills, explosion, and uncontainable fires with catastrophic human and environmental casualty.   

 

Some of the submitted reports acknowledge that the current tanks and/ or piping would likely rupture. 

  • Kinder Morgan acknowledges their 1920s to 1960s era tanks are “at risk for rupture” at the NW Portland and Linnton sites as they do not meet current seismic code.  
  • Owens Corning acknowledges that the tanks at their Linnton asphalt plant might rupture as they were built before current seismic code standards. 


Others both acknowledged the risk and are addressing it:

  • Based on their studies of soils along the Columbia River, Portland Airport is committed to fully rebuilding their facility to seismic standards in 4 years.  Importantly, the PDX report describes existing technology that dramatically reduces fuel storage earthquake risk. 
  • Vigor signed an agreement to stop storing fuel oils at their ship repair facility on Swan Island by 2028.


But, the two Big Oil companies, Chevron and Shell, plus Sunoco and Seaport Midstream Partners, pushed back, hiring the same engineering firm that assessed each company based on their “experience” rather than “code.”   

  • Having over 200 fuel storage tanks collectively – many built in the 1920s-1950s --  these facilities were found to have only two tanks at high risk for rupture, not because of inherent tank failure, but because of “rigidly connected piping.”   The specific structural criteria used in making these assessments was not disclosed.


Zenith basically failed to answer DEQ’s detailed questions:

  • Zenith provided previously completed assessments of 4 of their 80+ tanks, noting that two of these tanks had piping at risk for seismic rupture, but providing no further tank or piping evaluations.  They made no mention of their fire suppression system or shut off control system, as required by DEQ.  They did not ask for an extension to complete the SVA.

   

4 companies, Phillips 66, McCall, Pacterm, and NW Natural did not complete the assessments within the 9-months given them and asked for extensions.  

 

All, except Zenith, found that many of the concrete or earthen “containment walls” that are to hold spilled tank contents could break during an earthquake. Even more concerning, all the CEI Hub fire suppression systems were found likely to be inoperable after an earthquake because the Portland city water main supplying the systems is expected to break.

 

“We can smell these tanks almost every day.” said Nancy Hiser, a long time Linnton resident and CEI activist.  “It is infuriating that the clock is ticking on a catastrophe and some of these companies want to stall, deny, or just stonewall the legal process to make our communities and whole region safer – especially when we know that the technology already exists.” 


For more information contact: Nancy Hiser, nancyhiser@comcast.net or David Labby, labby.oregon@gmail.com.