Geothermal Electric Plants and Renewables: Kinder Morgan's Burnaby Tank Farm Could Destroy Large Area of Burnaby Killing and Injuring Thousands

In the middle of the city of Burnaby, in the middle of Vancouver's lower mainland the most densly populated city in Canada, between its local neighbourhoods, an urban forest and the University of Simon Fraser is Kinder Morgan's tank farm. A tank farm where the oil and diluted tar sands the products delivered by the Kinder Morgan pipeline are stored before shipping. Current the tank farm contains 1.7 million barrels of product to be expanded to 5.6 million barrels. The existing tank farm has long been a serious risk for the city and university, but more than tripling its storage capacity will increase the magnitude of destruction and death that will occur if a fire breaks out.

Burnaby Mountain Terminal

Concerned Professional Engineers (CPE) registered Professional Engineers have done a risk analysis of the Burnaby mountain tank farm and found the site unsafe. They have recommended it be relocated away from residential areas to Robert Banks terminal at the end of a causeway surrounded by the sea. Any fire at the current location of the tank farm facility could not be extinguishable they have concluded as there is a lack of firefighting positions because of its location. There are no safe access routes from which a firefighter could stage a response to a fire.

Existing Tank Farm

Tank Farm After Expansion

Such a fire could cause a "boilover," something that has happened at other tank farm fires, that would discharge heated molten crude oil outwards of 2000 feet from a single tank, resulting in a massive life hazard area. This area is likely to include the entire tank farm; the Forest Grove, Meadowood, Sperling-Duthie communities, and the only access road to the forested Burnaby mountain cutting of the whole university at the top of the mountain from being able to escape. It would also likely set fire to the the urban forest which could rage up the mountain and into the campus where thousands would be trapped.

Location of Tank far in the City of Burnaby

Adding diluted tar sands to the facility will introduce an additional risk to surrounding communities as was found in the Kalamzoo River spill which forced residence out of their homes because of the toxic fumes, some of these residence never returned. The crew that tried to clean up the spill had to wear respirators.

The existing Kinder Morgan tank farm has no immediate communication plans, protocols or procedures for notifying surrounding communities. So it is quite likely that it would be some time before a coordinated effort to address the fire could be made.

Not in Cities!

If you look at the placement of most tank farms they are not usually placed in densly populate cities like Burnaby, but rather in isolated areas for obvious reasons. The tank farm in Burnaby is one of a few inappropriately placed tank farms that needs to be relocated. If you look at the history of tank farm fires and explosions, few videos are located below, they are devistating to any near by community.
So what might happen to a tank farm fire here in Burnaby especially if the most likely time for a fire might be during the heat of a summer? Initially the explosion and flying parts might do damage to the surrounding businesses and housing development. The ensuing fire which the experts say can not be fought will likely spread both into the surrounding communities and into the forest above the tank farm. SFUs two roads would be immediately cut of first because of exploding tanks and second from the fires.