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103:) when an underground gasoline pipeline crossing Whatcom and Hanna Creeks ruptured. The incident was caused by a series of errors and malfunctions involving Olympic Pipeline, compounded by an excavator's failure to call in and locate the damaged section. The gasoline vapors exploded at 5:02 PM PDT, sending a fireball down
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system and pressure relief valve. In 1994, five years before the accident, an IMCO Construction crew, working on behalf of the City of
Bellingham, damaged the pipeline while constructing the city's water treatment plant and failed to notify officials about the damage. Subsequently, Olympic Pipeline
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Authorities all noted that the destruction and death toll were much lower than would be expected from such a large explosion. This was due to the explosion being centered in a large, forested park; the fires mostly staying in
Whatcom Creek; and the ignition occurring before more gasoline had leaked,
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Property damage was estimated at $ 58,455,927, most of it caused by the explosion. Many nearby buildings had broken windows. One house was completely destroyed. The city's water treatment plant was near the explosion site, and while the building itself survived, everything inside was destroyed. The
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in the creek. He was rendered unconscious by the fumes and fell into the creek, drowning before the explosion. Two children, Wade King and
Stephen Tsiorvas, both 10, were playing near the creek confluence during the explosion. Both survived the blast, but sustained severe burns, dying the next day
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to terminals in
Seattle and Portland, Oregon. A pressure relief valve that was improperly configured failed to open in the 16-inch (410 mm) pipeline, which resulted in a surge of pressure after an automatic valve shut for unknown reasons. This resulted in the line rupturing at 3:25 that
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Olympic, Equilon and several employees faced a seven-count indictment after the investigation in 2002. The companies pleaded guilty to several of the charges, leading to a $ 112 million settlement, a record at the time. This was the first conviction against a pipeline company under the 1979
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After a three-year investigation, investigators pointed to a series of failures, and not just a single error, most of which were the fault of
Olympic Pipeline. Olympic Pipeline had failed to properly train employees and had to contend with a faulty computer
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rupture allowed 277,000 US gallons (1,050,000 L) of gasoline to escape into the creek bed. Bellingham water treatment personnel were forced to manually add water treatment chemicals to keep the water supply safe until the plant could be rebuilt.
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When the
Bellingham Fire Department arrived, massive amounts of gasoline had turned the creek pink, and the fumes were overwhelming. The fire department notified Olympic Pipeline of the leak and evacuated the area around the creek.
192:. As the gasoline continued to spill, many people in the area called 911 to report the gasoline smell, and an Olympic Pipeline employee who was in the area called the company to inquire whether they had an anomaly.
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in
Seattle. There were eight related injuries. Wade King's parents donated $ 400,000 to the Bellingham School District, and in 2007 Wade King Elementary School was named in memory of Wade King.
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which would have resulted in a much larger explosion. The cause of ignition was determined by
Bellingham Fire Dept to be a butane lighter in the possession of King and Tsiorvas.
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The
Whatcom Falls Park in 2020 describes much of the area around the creek as "sensitive due to hazardous trees and for forest recovery from 1999 pipeline explosion."
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The gasoline exploded at 5:02 PM. The black smoke plume extended to an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m) and the smoke from the explosion was visible from
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in anticipation of the fire travelling the entire length of the creek. However, the fire never extended past
Interstate 5.
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Whatcom Creek sensitive area, recovering in 2020, with a few dead trees still standing, near the end of St. Clair Street
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Emergency responders stopped most of the fires by 6:30 PM; the smoke dissipated by 7:00.
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afternoon, and gasoline began spilling into Hanna Creek just above its confluence with
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Olympic Pipe Line Company ran a network of fuel pipes beginning at refineries in
398:"Pipeline Rupture and Subsequent Fire in Bellingham, Washington, June 10, 1999"
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537:"Olympic Pipe Line accident in Bellingham kills three youths on June 10, 1999"
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Three people died in the incident. The first was Liam Wood, 18, who was
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Washington Military Department – Emergency Management Division (2013).
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was closed to traffic, and the Coast Guard stopped maritime traffic in
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The disaster began as Olympic Pipeline was transporting gasoline from
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Washington Military Department – Emergency Management Division 2013
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Smoke above the fire on June 10, 1999 shortly after the explosion.
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640:. Washington Military Department – Emergency Management Division
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469:"Construction to Begin on New Wade King Elementary School"
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Another petroleum pipeline warning by the creek in 2020
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Industrial fires and explosions in the United States
87:On June 10, 1999, the Olympic pipeline operated by
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139:. In 1999, the pipeline was owned and operated by
378:harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBPpipelines2000 (
174:A petroleum pipeline warning by the creek in 2020
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553:"2000: BP Pipelines Operates Olympic Pipe Line"
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91:, carrying gasoline at the time, exploded in
570:"Timeline of Bellingham pipeline explosion"
535:McClary, Daryl C. McClary (June 11, 2003).
441:harvnb error: no target: CITEREFWatts2009 (
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151:. As of 2006, the pipeline is 65% owned by
99:. The disaster began at 3:25 PM PDT (22:25
612:The Nature of Home: Taking Root in a Place
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417:(Pipeline Accident Report NTSB/PAR-02/02.)
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16:1999 accident in Washington state, USA
740:June 1999 events in the United States
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107:. Three people died in the incident.
394:National Transportation Safety Board
268:Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act
735:1999 disasters in the United States
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715:Disasters in Washington (state)
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568:Millage, Kira (June 7, 2009).
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610:Gaard, Greta Claire (2007).
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654:"Incident on June 10, 1999"
616:University of Arizona Press
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710:1999 in Washington (state)
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143:, a joint venture between
20:Olympic Pipeline explosion
730:1999 industrial disasters
638:"Local Hazard – Pipeline"
504:"Whatcom Falls Trail Map"
473:Bellingham Public Schools
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233:Harborview Medical Center
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89:Olympic Pipeline Company
597:. Pipeline Safety Trust
40:June 10, 1999
720:Bellingham, Washington
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71:Bellingham, Washington
595:"A Decade of Healing"
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185:Cherry Point Refinery
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131:and running south to
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686:48.7521°N 122.4331°W
31:Smoke above the fire
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631:- Total pages: 213
580:on January 17, 2013
327:Disaster Bellingham
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691:48.7521; -122.4331
396:(8 October 2002).
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614:(2007 ed.).
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578:the original
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209:Interstate 5
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677:122°25′59″W
516:14 November
228:fly fishing
704:Categories
674:48°45′08″N
660:2019-07-22
555:. BP p.l.c
529:References
478:2023-07-17
456:Gaard 2007
438:Watts 2009
111:Background
44:1999-06-10
644:March 24,
601:March 23,
584:March 24,
559:March 23,
543:March 24,
205:Anacortes
201:Vancouver
145:Shell Oil
129:Anacortes
55:04:55 PM
405:ntsb.gov
319:and the
274:Recovery
179:Disaster
153:Enbridge
137:Portland
63:Location
511:cob.org
411:22 June
333:YouTube
222:Victims
141:Equilon
133:Seattle
42: (
622:
239:Damage
149:Texaco
78:Deaths
73:, U.S.
507:(PDF)
401:(PDF)
303:Notes
259:SCADA
646:2013
620:ISBN
603:2013
586:2013
561:2013
545:2013
518:2020
443:help
413:2022
380:help
147:and
135:and
127:and
52:Time
37:Date
231:at
203:to
101:UTC
95:in
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