07/14/2003

From KING Staff and Wire Reports

SEATTLE - Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is demanding that Olympic Pipeline conduct a high-pressure water test on its line through Seattle.

"Today we know there are potential problems, but we don't know if the pipeline through Seattle neighborhoods is safe," said Nickels.

The Seattle section of the Whatcom County to Portland pipeline runs from Renton to a tank farm on Harbor Island. Buried three feet under the Holly Park neighborhood of south Seattle, the 12-inch pipeline carries more than a million gallons a week of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel every week.

KING The pipeline runs through residential neighborhoods.

Last April, Olympic and other parties agreed to pay $75 million to settle wrongful death suits. Last month, three Olympic Pipeline executives were sentenced to jail and another $112 million in penalties were assessed.

Nickels is demanding that Olympic conduct special high-pressure water tests and re-inspect the Seattle pipeline.

"Pumping water into the pipe, what engineers call a hydrostatic test, is the best available method to identify what portions of the line are safe and which portions are not safe," said Nickels.

Nickels pointed out other, less reliable tests have recently uncovered 131 anomalies in the seams that hold the Seattle portion of the pipeline together. Additional testing confirmed 14 of the anomalies.

Olympic is asking the mayor to reconsider, pointing out the section has been inspected four times in the past three years and will be inspected again this fall. Hydrostatic water testing is expensive and produces pollution problems. And the company - now in bankruptcy - has already spent $230 million on its pipeline system in recent years.

Nickels says he'll shut the pipeline down Aug. 26 unless Olympic does the test.

Olympic says Nickels has no legal authority to shut down the line.

Nickels will host a public meeting regarding Olympic Pipeline, Tuesday, July 29, 6:30 p.m., at Holly Park's New Holly Gathering Place, 7054 32nd Avenue South in Seattle. Interested citizens are invited to attend.