Lessons Learned from the 9/16/2011

BNSF South Rail Yard Incident in

Amarillo, Texas

Photo by Karla Weatherly

Amarillo Demographics

• City of Amarillo:– Population: 190,695– Downtown Business District: ~20,000

• General Demographics… regional hub for:– Banking– Health & Medical– Education– Transportation– Agriculture

HAZMATTransportation:

Highways,Railroads, Pipelines

HAZMATFixed Facilities:

225 Tier II Facilities17 RMP Facilities

Hazardous Materials: Potter & Randall Counties, Texas

El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion - Bushland

Diesel Tanker Rollover

BNSF Operations in Amarillo• Two Major Rail Yard Operations:– North Yard (previous Burlington Northern Yard)– South Yard (previous Santa Fe Yard)– 800-1,300 Railcars in yards at any given time

• Mainline Tracks Through Amarillo:– Servicing North/South & East/West Rail Traffic– 60-120 Trains Daily– Average of 80-100 Railcars per Train

• Significant Transport ofHazardous Materials:– Average of 75 inhalation

hazard railcars throughAmarillo weekly.

Santa Fe Railroad: Amarillo Yard, circa 1943

September 16, 2011…At approximately 11:27 a.m., an incident occurred in the BNSF South Rail Yard that resulted in a tanker car loaded with Isopentane (UN1265) conflagrating.

View from Bank One Building, Downtown

View from Head Start School/Day Care

View from I-40/I-27 Interchange

Photo by Wes ReevesPhoto by Wrustler Weston

Photo by Karla Weatherly

Major Impacts & Response• 3 BNSF workers suffered

smoke inhalation with two transported to local hospital

• Damaged/destroyed 28 rail cars and caused significant damage to the tracks (estimated $1.5 million)

• Ceased rail yard operations for ~12 hours (south yard)

• Evacuation of ¼ mile in all directions with ½ mile shelter-in-place downwind

• Expanded unified command established between AFD/APD with BNSF representatives

• EOC activated to provide coordination with State and Federal agency representatives

Isopentane RailcarConcrete Hopper Car

BNSF South Railyard… 09/16/2011

Sodium Hydroxide Railcar

Molton Sulfur Railcars

Photo by Michael Norris / Amarillo Globe-News

Incident Impacts:• BNSF Rail Yard• Industrial Area• Residential Area• Maverick Club• Head Start School• Interstate-40• COA Service Center • AECC/EOC• City Hall• Civic Center• Potentially 20,000 People

ERG Isolation Zone (yellow circle)Railcar Involved in Fire:• Isopentane: ERG 128 ½ Mile• Sulfur (Molten): ERG 133 ½ Mile

Incident Geography

Lessons Learned• Emergency Response Delays/Confusion– Public Calls to 9-1-1 Varied Widely– Difficult/Limited Access to Incident Scene– Delays in Unifying Command

• BNSF Coordination Improvements:– Planning Coordination Out-of-Date– Contact Information Out-of-Date– BNSF Assembly Points Not Communicated

• NWS Plume Model Sharing• Public Protective Actions– Potential Impacts on Critical Infrastructure– Communication to Public/Internal Organization

• Emergency Public Information

Improvement Plans• Improve BNSF Coordination:

– Emergency Plans & Contact Information Updated (annual review incorporated into exercise program)

– BNSF Assembly Points Simplified & Mapped Out– Invited to Join Potter & Randall LEPC (listed in BNSF Plan)

• Exercise & Training Program:– Schedule Annual Tabletop Exercise (February)– Conduct Periodic Railcar Training (first offering in March 2012 with

100 participants)• Enhancements to Information Tools:

– Improved Coordination & Information Sharing with NWS (specifically use of the HySplit plume model)

• Enhanced Public Notification Tools:– NIXLE and Resolve to Be Ready

OEMAMARILLO/POTTER/RANDALL

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

http://oem.amarillo.gov/(806) 378-3004