Pipeline Workshops and Conference 

If you missed the workshop or two-day conference, tune in here: Workshop ** Conference Day 1 Section 1 Conference Day 1 Section 2 Conference Day 1 Section 3 Conference Day 1 Section 4 Conference Day 1 Section 5 ** Conference Day 2 Section 1 Conference Day 2 Section 2 Conference Day 2 Section 3 Conference Day 2 Section 4 Conference Day 2 Section 5 PDF presentations from the March Pipeline 101 Workshops and Pipeline Safety Conference can be viewed here. Join the discussion regarding pipeline restoration projects. Please provide us with your feedback on Open City Hall.

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If you have questions, concerns, or comments, we have set up a telephone hot line at 801.535.7171. Or you can email us at oil@slcgov.com. Click here for a comment form.

Chevron’s 24/7 hotline for claims and questions is 1-(866) 718-1943.

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Update: March 8, 2012

Utah Department of Water Quality press release, re: Red Butte Creek Mitigation Projects Selected

Project Selection Details Spreadsheet

Update: November 9, 2011

Public Health Assessment letter to council members concerning the Public Health Assessment and a public meeting to discuss the findings on November 17, 2011.

Update: September 6, 2011

Click here for the Chevron Settlement Key Points.

Update: September 6, 2011

Click here for the Chevron Executed Settlement Agreement.

Update: September 6, 2011

Click here for the 2010 Final Report.

Update: September 6, 2011

Chevron, Salt Lake City and State Announce Proposed Agreement to Settle Oil Spill Claims
Pipe Line Company agrees to $4.5 million payout

SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City, the Utah Department of Environment Quality - Division of Water Quality and Chevron Pipe Line Company jointly announced today that an agreement has been proposed to settle claims resulting from the two crude oil spills which occurred in 2010.

Under the terms of the agreement, Chevron Pipe Line has agreed to the following payments:

     ■   $1,000,000 to Salt Lake City to settle “lost use” claims, which include environmental and social impacts

     ■   $500,000 to the State of Utah as a civil penalty arising from the two crude oil spills

     ■   $3,000,000, in lieu of a civil penalty, for mitigation projects to restore and enhance affected waterways that may have been impacted by the two crude oil spills

A 30-day comment period will be provided for the public to submit written comments to the State on the proposed settlement agreement.

While major cleanup of the spills has been completed, Chevron, Salt Lake City, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the Salt Lake Valley Health Department continue to assess the condition of the Red Butte Creek riparian corridor and the affected portion of the Jordan River corridor.

Water quality, creek sediment, creek bank soil and aquatic organisms will all continue to be monitored to determine if any other active measures need to be taken to complete the recovery and restoration process. Chevron will continue to bear responsibility to clean up oil hotspots if they become evident.

“After substantial negotiations between the three parties, we feel this is a fair and reasonable settlement and that the mitigation projects will preserve and protect Utah’s waterways,” said Utah Division of Water Quality Director Walt Baker.

“Salt Lake City’s position has remained constant since the date of the first spill: to hold Chevron accountable for damage to the health of our City’s residents and natural environment,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. “I am hopeful that as the requirements of the settlement and agencies are met and the assessment of the affected areas is complete, the concerns of our residentswill be satisfied and the repair and restoration of the damaged riparian corridors will be accomplished.”

Chevron Pipe Line Company President Randy Curry stated, “Chevron’s main focus during both these unfortunate incidents has been the safety of our community and response personnel. We have accepted responsibility for the cleanup and restoration activities associated with both events and are working with the State and City on those efforts. This agreement further demonstrates our commitment to the Salt Lake community to complete restoration activities and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.”

Update: June 23, 2011

For the most current information, click here.

Update: February 15, 2011

Chevron Pipe Line Company Restart Plan

Because of the large file size (17 Mb), we have divided the PDF file into four parts for download (approximately 4 Mb per file):

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Update: February 1, 2011

Click here for the Accufacts Inc. report. Accufacts is the consulting firm hired by the City to report on the Chevron pipeline.

Update: January 7, 2011

Additional sampling results can be found here.

Update: December 28, 2010

Click here for the summary of air sample results for residences along Red Butte Creek.

Update: December 15, 2010

Federal Agency Approves Chevron’s Plan to Purge Oil from Section of Pipeline
48-hour Operation to Begin Thursday as Salt Lake City Mayor Meets with Independent Expert

SALT LAKE CITY – Representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration notified Mayor Ralph Becker’s office of the agency’s approval of Chevron Pipe Line’s plans to purge residual crude oil from the pipeline from the pump station at Hanna to its Salt Lake City refinery. According to communications between PHMSA and Chevron Pipe Line, the purge is part of Chevron’s implementation of the agency’s Corrective Action Order issued after the December 1 spill.

Chevron Pipe Line representatives say the purge will begin as early as Thursday, December 16, at 7 a.m. with company oversight at 23 critical points throughout the line during the 48-hour process. The purge is needed to remove the remaining oil in the line so that future work required in the Corrective Active Order can be completed. In response to the City’s request, PHMSA advised Chevron to provide appropriate coordination and communications with City first responders and administration.

After the latest oil spill, Mayor Becker announced the City’s intent to hire an independent expert to conduct an inspection and review of the Chevron pipeline and its operations. The City has hired Richard Kuprewicz, a chemical engineer and pipeline expert. Mr. Kuprewicz will be available to answer questions from the media in the Mayor’s Conference Room, Salt Lake City & County Building, 451 S. State Street, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 16.

Kuprewicz is president of the Seattle-based consulting firm, Accufacts, Inc. and has over 37 years of experience in the energy industry. His work has focused on appropriate pipeline design and operation in areas of unique population density or of an environmentally sensitive nature.

He has led numerous independent investigations of major pipeline incidents, including analysis of a rupture near Bellingham, Wash. in 1999.

Kuprewicz is a member, representing the public interest, of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, currently a 14-member body that includes representatives from industry, government and the public.

Update: December 9, 2010

Mayor Becker Issues Status Report on Federal Investigation of Oil Spill
Preliminary Findings Indicate Chevron Failed to Conduct Winterization Procedure

SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and City Public Utilities Director Jeff Niermeyer updated the media Thursday morning on the progress of a federal investigation into the Dec. 1 Chevron spill of some 500 barrels of crude oil on University of Utah property near Red Butte Garden.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action order to the Chevron Pipe Line Co. Wednesday evening outlining preliminary findings of cause in the incident, and stipulating requirements that must be met before the line, which carries crude oil from western Colorado to a Chevron-owned refinery in Salt Lake City, can be put back into operation.

Mayor Becker and City officials took part in a conference call Thursday with PHMSA administrators to address questions about the order and determine exactly what safety assurances accompany the oversight agency’s requests.

Mayor Becker said the corrective order addresses the concerns he raised in a Monday meeting in Washington, D.C. with the head of PHMSA, and received confirmation that information garnered through an independent evaluation of the pipeline would be reviewed by the agency.

“Federal officials tasked with oversight and enforcement of this pipeline’s operation have told us the line will not be restarted without assurances that our public and environment will be protected,” Mayor Becker said. “In addition, agency officials said they would welcome findings of our third-party investigation and take action on those issues where warranted.”

Public Utilities Director Jeff Niermeyer said the findings of the current federal investigation highlight issues that go beyond the scope of just the physical condition of the pipeline. Niermeyer said PHMSA believes that liquid left behind after a pressure test – conducted following a June leak in the same line that released over 33,000 gallons of crude oil into Red Butte Creek from a site about 500 feet from the recent incident – led to valve failure. The liquid, according to the PHMSA findings, should have been cleared in a federally-required valve winterization operation that was not conducted by Chevron’s pipeline technicians.

“While these PHMSA findings are preliminary, they illustrate failures in the operational capacity of this company,” Niermeyer said. “Our independent expert will be tasked with taking a very close look at Chevron’s operations procedures, in addition to a thorough evaluation of the pipeline itself.”

Niermeyer said his office has already begun the process of locating and vetting an expert pipeline consultant to perform independent oversight on behalf of the City.

PHMSA officials did not indicate what amount of time might be required for Chevron to meet the requirements of a pipeline restart.

A copy of the corrective action order can be viewed here.
 

Update: December 8, 2010

U.S Department of Transportation Issues Corrective Order to Chevron
Mayor Becker Seeking Clarification on Pipeline Restart Requirements

SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker applauded the corrective action order issued to the Chevron Pipe Line Co. by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Wednesday.

Mayor Becker said he appreciated the prompt response by the federal oversight agency following the Dec. 1 release of some 500 barrels of crude oil on University of Utah property at Red Butte Garden — the second serious incident in six months.

“The language in this ruling seems to recognize the dangerous trend that has developed with the operation of this pipeline,” Mayor Becker said. “We fully expect PHMSA to withhold the restart of the pipeline until all necessary assurances have been met to protect ‘life, property, and the environment.’”

Mayor Becker will be available Thursday, December 9 for media questions at 9:30 a.m. at his office at the City and County Building.
 

Update: December 7, 2010

Water tests confirm no threat to Red Butte Creek from second Chevron spill

Salt Lake City – Division of Water Quality (DWQ) scientists have been monitoring Red Butte Creek twice daily at several locations since last Thursday to determine if petroleum products from the second Chevron pipeline spill impacted the creek.

Trace amounts of petroleum contaminants were found in samples taken from the creek at the nearest location to the spill the day after the event. Subsequent monitoring has revealed no evidence of these trace contaminants. These trace amounts pose no threat to aquatic life or to the public from contact with the water. There is no visual evidence of the oil spill making it to the creek. However, how the contaminants got into the creek is unknown.

“We think the petroleum compounds found in the creek actually resulted from the petroleum contaminants becoming airborne and then being deposited into the stream.” said Walt Baker, director of DWQ. “The good news is that at the levels seen, they pose no risk to aquatic life or the public.”

DWQ is continuing to monitor the creek.

Results of test will be posted at: http://www.deq.utah.gov/Issues/redbuttespill/index.htm

(Click here for the State's press release in PDF format.)

Chevron Pipe Line President in Salt Lake City to Discuss Line Failure with Mayor’s Office

SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker’s Chief of Staff, David Everitt, met with Chevron Pipe Line President Rebecca Roberts Monday afternoon to discuss the current status of the cleanup of approximately 21,000 gallons of oil released from a recent pipeline failure. Roberts reiterated the company’s commitment to regaining public trust and agreed that a third party investigation of the pipeline is an appropriate next step.

Representatives of Chevron are reporting that some 95 percent of the crude oil released in a Dec. 1 pipeline spill on University of Utah property near the main entrance to the Red Butte Garden outdoor amphitheatre has been recovered and the effort will soon be transitioning from reclamation to mitigation.

“The meeting with Chevron leadership today shows efforts are being focused in a constructive direction,” said Chief of Staff David Everitt. “Today’s discussion provided another opportunity to share our serious public safety concerns and dialogue with Chevron about restoring the public trust.”

Over the weekend the company also revised estimates of the volume of leaked oil and believes that a total of approximately 500 barrels escaped the pipeline, with about 250 barrels getting captured in a large valve-enclosure box and about 250 barrels spilling over that top of that structure.

Paul Fuglevand, Salt Lake City’s independent environmental consultant overseeing Chevron’s remediation efforts reported that the work conducted by the company, thus far, has been performed to industry standards.

Salt Lake City Public Utilities Director Jeff Niermeyer said Monday that the City is awaiting plans from Chevron outlining further clean-up work.

“As the last of the visible material is removed, the effort will be shifting to mitigation of contaminated areas,” Niermeyer said. “A wide variety of evaluations are underway, including testing of asphalt and concrete surfaces.”

Chevron’s plans, once submitted, will be reviewed by City officials and audited by the independent consultant. Air and water samples taken immediately following the incident are still being processed, Niermeyer said, while sampling continues at the spill site and surrounding areas.

Chevron announced that a pipeline valve assembly which they believe is the source of last week’s leak, has been removed and secured by U.S. Department of Transportation personnel and will be analyzed by a forensics laboratory.
 

Update: December 6, 2010

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker Meets With Federal Officials on Chevron Spill
Agency Officials Say They’ll Back City Plan, but Can’t Guarantee Long-Term Closure


SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker met with the head of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in Washington, D.C. Monday morning to discuss concerns over the recent Chevron oil spill and advocate for continued shutdown of the problem-plagued line.

PHMSA officials said the agency is ready to offer support as the City authors a plan for the future of the pipeline.

Mayor Becker said that plan will require an exhaustive review of the line, including thorough evaluation of the condition of the 60-year-old pipe and whether its current route through sensitive watershed areas is appropriate moving forward.

“We want to communicate and arrive at an approach that will give our community the safety assurances we need,” Mayor Becker said. “To that end, we will be seeking expert, independent consultation to combine with the recommendations of our local prevention work group.”

Becker said PHMSA agreed to act in an advisory capacity as the City develops a prevention plan. Development of a long-term plan for the line will enlist the efforts of the prevention work group — formed after the June spill of some 33,000 gallons of crude oil into Red Butte Creek — and a city-contracted pipeline safety expert.

Agency officials would not confirm Monday whether a continued pipeline shutdown was a possibility following completion of PHMSA’s investigation of the Dec. 1 release of approximately 21,000 gallons of crude oil that occurred 500 feet from the site of the June spill.
 

Update: December 3, 2010

Clean-up Continues at Site of Second Chevron Oil Spill
City-contracted oversight team begins independent evaluations

SALT LAKE CITY – Clean-up efforts continued Friday at the site of Wednesday’s Chevron oil spill on University of Utah property near the entrance of the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Amphitheatre.

Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Capt. Michael Harp reported Friday that approximately 90 percent of the crude oil that leaked from the 10-inch Chevron pipeline had been recovered. Harp said efforts were also underway to remove contaminated soil from the site, with that work about 50 percent completed.

Air and water quality monitoring in the area also continued on Friday. While samples from nearby Red Butte Creek were still being processed, no physical evidence was present of oil contamination related to the most recent incident. Real-time air quality testing indicated hydrocarbon levels were below the threshold of short-term health hazards and laboratory testing of samples from the spill site and surrounding area is underway.

Harp said Friday that emergency personnel were completing their responsibilities at the incident site, though fire department officials will continue to maintain a nearby mobile command center.

“The speed and efficiency in our response to this incident helped to ensure that damage was contained to a relatively small area,” Harp said. “While our role as first responders ends, and Chevron Hazmat teams continue clean-up work, the department will maintain a presence at the site to monitor ongoing efforts.”

Salt Lake City Public Utilities Director Jeff Niermeyer met with federal authorities and Utah Congressman Jim Matheson Friday morning to tour the spill site and discuss initial steps in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s investigation of the incident.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker deployed Paul Fuglevand, a principal in the Seattle-based environmental and remediation consulting firm, Dalton, Olmsted and Fuglevand, Inc. – the city’s contracted independent, third-party team of environmental experts – to begin oversight of the work being conducted by Chevron and investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Fuglevand was at the spill site on Friday to begin evaluations.

“This independent oversight team is tasked with ensuring a complete and thorough investigation into this most recent incident,” Mayor Becker said. “Our foremost concern is guaranteeing public safety, both in the near-term and going forward.” The Mayor is scheduled to meet with PHMSA officials in Washington, D.C. on Monday.
 

Update on December 2^nd Chevron Pipeline Oil Spill

 

SALT LAKE CITY – In response to a request from Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake City Council to curtail Chevron’s pipeline operations until all safety concerns are addressed, investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) have arrived. The appeal outlines the Mayor’s concerns regarding approximately 100 barrels of crude oil that were released from a 10-inch pipeline owned by Chevron Pipe Line Company – marking the second oil spill incident from the pipeline this year.

Established in 2004, PHMSA is tasked with protecting people and the environment from the risks inherent in transportation of hazardous materials by pipeline and other transport modes. Earlier, the agency levied over $400,000 in civil penalties against Chevron Pipe Line Company following an investigation of the June release of approximately 800 barrels from the same pipeline at a site about 500 feet from the latest occurrence.

Latest reports indicate that oil has not reached Red Butte Creek, however the creek was boomed as a precautionary measure and water testing is being conducted. Cleanup efforts at the scene continue with vacuum trucks, Hazmat teams, and crude oil removal from earthen berms constructed at the scene to contain the material.

 Based on initial air quality monitoring at the spill site from Industrial Hygiene Inc (IHI) Environmental, the independent consultants contracted by Salt Lake City since the first spill, low vapor levels have been detected. Sensitive individuals who are experiencing discomfort or symptoms should seek medical help or call the Salt Lake Valley Health Department with questions or concerns at 801-534-4600. The Utah Division of Water Quality – a division of Department of Environmental Quality – is currently taking water samples for further evaluation. Test results will be posted at www.slcclassic.com/oilspill as soon as they are made available.

 The city Ombudsperson for the oil spill, Robin Carbaugh, has been in contact with some residents affected by the previous spill and is available to hear concerns from the general public at 801-870-1428 or ombudslc@gmail.com.

Click here for a map of the December pipeline release. Click here for a map of Chevron's pipline.

MEDIA ADVISORY

 December 2, 2010

Contact: Lisa Harrison Smith

c. 801-913-9748

 

Press Conference at 10 am Regarding Oil from Chevron Pipeline Spill at University of Utah

 SALT LAKE CITY – Mayor Ralph Becker will hold a press conference this morning at 10 a.m. in the Mayor’s Office to discuss the oil spill that occurred late last evening at the University of Utah. Approximately 100 barrels of crude oil was released from a pipeline owned by Chevron Pipe Line Company near Red Butte Canyon. A Unified Incident Command has been established at the University of Utah to respond to the oil spill. The Unified Command consists of Chevron Pipe Line Company and the Salt Lake City Fire Department.  

The pipeline crosses University of Utah property and is located about 500 feet from the site of the previous spill which occurred this past June. The release occurred within a block valve vault that contained most of the material before it spilled out unto University property.  

Initial evaluation shows oil did not enter Red Butte Creek, however the creek was boomed as a precautionary measure. Seven vacuum trucks are at the scene collecting the oil from earthen berms constructed at the scene to contain the material.  

Based on initial air monitoring at the spill site, some vapors are present and residents with sensitivities should call the Incident Hotline 1-866-752-6340. Air Monitoring will continue and updates will be posted at the www.slcclassic.com/oilspill. Residents can also call with questions or concerns to 801-535-7171. 

All federal, state, and local emergency agencies have been notified. There have been no reported injuries.

 

Who:                    Mayor Ralph Becker

                                Fire Chief Kurt Cook

                                Director of Public Utilities Jeff Niermeyer

                                Environmental Specialist Renee Zollinger

 

 Where:               Mayor’s Office - Salt Lake City & County Building

                                451 South State Street  

 

When:                  10:00 a.m.      

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