Item 26 - Adoption of the City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan

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City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan Part I Basic Plan Impacts of Railroad Crashes A major train derailment occurring in a populated area can result in considerable loss of life and property. As a train leaves its track, there is no longer any control as to the direction it will travel. Potential hazards include overturned rail cars, direct impact into buildings, or entering into roadway vehicle traffic. Each of these hazards encompasses many threats, including injury and loss of life to train passengers, individuals in adjacent buildings or vehicles, or other individuals in the vicinity of the accident; fire or explosion; or release of hazardous materials. Bakken oil, a lighter type of crude oil, similar to gasoline, contains higher levels of combustible gases, making it potentially more flammable than other kinds of crude oil. Bakken crude has received national attention since an increase in Bakken train explosions around the country prompted the federal government to write stronger regulations on rail transport, including a proposal to require sturdier tank cars for oil. The railroad companies, which fall under federal regulations, do not provide information to state and local officials about shipments of this or other toxic, volatile and explosive materials as they travel through Orange County. In 2014, California received 1.2 million barrels of crude from North Dakota by rail, according to the California Energy Commission. Fires involving Bakken crude provide a serious challenge to first responders due to its heat, intensity and rapid rate of combustion. Statewide, more protocols are being developed on the appropriate ways to fight this new train accident hazard. A response to a rail emergency can be very complex depending on the incident location. Response may require the coordination and efforts from local, county, state and federal jurisdictions, and from private agencies. Additionally, federal statutes and regulations place the responsibility for investigation and survivor assistance with the rail passenger carrier and specific federal agencies. National and local economies rely on rail traffic. The recovery time involved in clearing a rail emergency may be a significant hardship to the economic well-being of the community. Railroad Crash Events According to the California Office of Emergency Services, there have been 14 major train accidents affecting 12 communities since 1950. Additional significant train accidents, derailments, fires and hazardous material releases have occurred in California in the past 40 years that resulted in multiple deaths, numerous injuries and property damage. Roseville Train Explosion A dramatic example in California history was the major explosion and chemical plume release that occurred in April 1973 in the Roseville railroad yard when 6,000 bombs on a train bound for the Concord Naval Weapons Station detonated after a railroad car caught fire. Although no one was killed, the blast reportedly injured about 100 people and damaged 5,500 buildings, some more than a mile away. Duffy Street Derailment, San Bernardino On May 12, 1989, a 6-locomotive/69-car Southern Pacific freight train picked up speed while descending the Cajon Pass in Southern California. The train reached a speed of 110 miles per hour on a curve designed for no more than 40 miles per hour. The train derailed and plowed into a residential area on Duffy Street. The conductor, head -end brakeman, and two residents were killed in the crash. Seven homes were destroyed, as was the entire train. During the cleanup effort, an underground 14-inch high-pressure gasoline transit pipeline suffered undetected damage. On May 25, 13 days after the train derailment, the pipeline burst, showering the neighborhood in gasoline and igniting a large fire that killed two people and destroyed 11 more homes. The total property damage was $14.3 million. Many residents moved after this, and homes are no longer allowed to be built next to the rail lines. Investigations determined several causes that contributed to the derailment: a miscalculation of the weight of the freight, which was underestimated by 40 percent; lack of dynamic brakes on three of the six locomotives; and train engineer error in activating the emergency brake, which cancelled the dynamic brakes on the functioning three locomotives. 100