The City of Burnaby has released a dramatic video depicting three hypothetical disasters at the Burnaby Mountain tank farm and Westridge Marine Terminal.
The computer animations were created in 2021 after the city hired engineering company ONEC to conduct a risk assessment, including depictions of potential "major events" at the two Trans Mountain facilities, according to a city news release Thursday.
The scenarios were created using publicly available information at the time and don't reflect the current Trans Mountain system, which tripled in capacity after the recently completed expansion project.
"While the probability of a potential major event happening at these facilities is low, the city has sought to strike a balance that acknowledges that such an event could still occur," stated the release.
The city said the computer animations will inform a full-scale emergency exercise the city plans to undertake in 2027.
"Our primary focus at the City of Burnaby is keeping our community safe, and this mock exercise will help us prepare and respond more effectively," Mayor Mike Hurley said in the release. "Regardless of our past opposition, the Trans Mountain expansion is complete and fully operational. With increased oil transport comes increased risk. We want to fully understand the risks, increase our capacity to respond and ensure we have the right partners at the table to support a safe, reliable and timely emergency response."
The first scenario depicted in the video shows crude oil sloshing from tanks at the Burnaby Mountain tank farm during an earthquake.
The crude is then ignited in the presence of oxygen and sparks from the tanks floating roof.
"With ignition, the escalation of fire occurs to all areas of the spill and back into the tank underneath the fixed roof. The animation shows fire ignition beneath the roof displaces the welds and blows off the roof. The fire on the tank surface then becomes a full surface tank fire. This could potentially escalate to a boilover," stated the release.
An aerial map shows the danger to people depending on their proximity to the fire.
"Radiant heat from the fire also has the potential to ignite vegetation outside of the fence line, resulting in a wildfire," stated the release.
The second scenario shows a leak in the tanks at Westridge Marine Terminal.
The sequence of events would be similar to the Burnaby Mountain tank farm scenario, according to the release, but would involve jet fuel rather than crude oil.
The scenario also depicts heat from the tank fire creating pressure against the outside of an onsite pressurized vessel (a propane tank) leading to a pressure-induced explosion.
"The radiant heat could impact a larger area than the initial tank and dike fire," stated the release. "Smoke from the jet fuel tank fire could blanket the Barnet Highway and surrounding residential area"
The final scenario shows how a leak in the loading-arm mechanism could lead to a fire between a tanker and the berth at the Westridge Marine Terminal.
"If the hydrocarbon ignites immediately on release, the likely outcome is a jet fire," stated the release. "Any delayed ignition could result in a hydrocarbon pool fire or a hydrocarbon flash fire."
For more information about the city's plans for a full-scale emergency exercise, visit the city’s Full-Scale Emergency Exercise webpage.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
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