Alyeska Hosts Open Forum in Valdez
on Valdez Marine Terminal Fire Protection System
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company will host
an open forum on proposed corrective actions to the Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT) Fire
Protection System on Tuesday, January 11, 2000 at the Valdez Civic Center at 7 p.m. This
forum is the first in a series of quarterly community meetings to be held in Valdez to
address issues of significance to the community and Alyeska.
During the forum, Alyeska Senior Vice
President Dan Hisey will outline current risks, prevention measures and response systems
for the VMT Fire Protection System. Alyeska’s proposed project plan to address items
raised in an order issued by the Joint Pipeline Office (JPO) on December 2, 1999 will also
be reviewed. This includes such items as tank inspection, testing, cleaning and the
long-term management of tank bottom sediments. Technologies used in these processes will
also be discussed.
Alyeska plans to inspect all crude oil
storage tanks at the VMT by March 1, 2000 to identify any tanks with sediment levels high
enough to potentially block fire foam system piping.
The plan calls for tank fluidization to
reduce sediment levels. Tanks are drained of crude and high-pressure jet nozzles are
permanently installed on the outside bottom of the tank. Crude is returned to the tank
where it is re-circulated by high volume, high pressure pumps to re-suspend and dissolve
the sediments into the crude oil.
Alyeska’s proposed plan and schedule
for corrective actions was received and agreed to, in general terms, by the JPO. Details
of the plan will be determined after formal plan review and meetings between Alyeska and
the JPO.
Back to top
|