Flawed Response to Trustee Inquiries re Pipeline

Everyone should be aware that consideration of the SJHHS pipeline issue appears on the Board agenda next week.

The CUSD website now contains a memo from district's consultant, Ms. Fitzgerald in which she responds to inquires from some of our Trustees regarding her pipeline report. Of course, this report was prepared after a conference call with CUSD's attorney, Mr. Bergman. You should read her memo and then consider the following...

The second paragraph of Ms. Fitzgerald’s report states:

There is no risk of asphyxiation with a release from the pipeline in the open atmosphere. Death from asphyxiation can occur when workers enter chemical tanks, pipelines, manholes, and other confined spaces without taking proper precautions.

On page 11, “Injuries”, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report provides this description of the injuries resulting from the pipeline release in Bellingham, WA in 1999:

A police officer patrolling the accident area was alerted by residents that two boys needed medical assistance. The police officer immediately called for the assistance of a Bellingham Fire Department medic unit. The two 10-year-old boys were taken by ambulance from the 1900 block of Iowa Street to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Hospital staff stabilized them before each patient was flown by helicopter to the burn unit of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Each boy had received extensive second and third degree thermal burn injuries of the head, trunk, and extremities (80 to 90 percent total body surface area). Both boys died on June 11, 1999.

The body of an 18-year-old man was found in Whatcom Creek by members of the Bellingham Mountain Search and Rescue team. Bellingham Police Department investigators arrived at the creek and documented the body as having been found partially submerged near the north bank of Whatcom Creek. According to the Whatcom County medical examiner, cause of death was chemical asphyxia from hydrocarbon inhalation poisoning. The death certificate does mention inhalation of hydrocarbons (gasoline) but states the cause of death as “asphyxia due to fresh water drowning.” The autopsy report notes that the victim was most likely “overcome by volatile hydrocarbon fumes, lost consciousness, and died from hypoxia by freshwater drowning.”

Eight other individuals transported themselves to the hospital with minor inhalation injuries.

I cannot imagine how Ms. Fitzgerald could make such a serious mistake. The NTSB is the Federal agency responsible for investigation of transmission pipeline incidents. Every word of their report is carefully considered and reviewed.

The fuel released in the Bellingham accident was unleaded gasoline.

I will have more complete comments regarding Ms. Fitzgerald’s memo before the meeting. Please check back.