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representatives of the Red Cross responded to the scene where they met with the incident commander and were directed to prepare a shelter for 50 to 100 persons. The Red Cross Disaster Coordinator then contacted the Red Cross chapter office and requested additional personnel and logistical support. A temporary shelter was prepared at the local Job Corps building, a mobile canteen/kitchen was established at the accident site, and damage assessment teams were sent to the scene. The Executive Director for the San Bernardino Red Cross stated that they were equipped to handle the emergency and that they received logistical support from the Los Angeles and the Riverside Chapters in the form of a van, a canteen, and food supplies.
Wreckage Clearance/Pipeline Surveillance Operations Following the Train Derailment
May 12, 1989.—When Calnev’s manager of engineering received information regarding the train derailment, he radioed Calnev’s Colton terminal, about 6½ miles from the derailment site, and instructed personnel at that location to shut down the 14-inch pipeline immediately. At 8:30 a.m., pumping operations were stopped, leaving a residual pressure of 1,128 psig at Colton. The manager of engineering then notified Calnev’s manager of operations and the maintenance superintendent of the train derailment; all three individuals proceeded to the accident site to view the derailment and determine the potential impact to the pipeline. According to the manager of operations, when they arrived at the derailment site, it was obvious the pipeline could have been damaged because the pipeline was under a portion of the wreckage, "…most notably a locomotive that came to rest inverted directly over the pipeline" (figure 4). According to the manager of operations, their concern was that if the locomotive had remained intact, it could possibly have protruded into the ground 8 to 10 feet, and they were unsure at that time of the precise depth of the pipeline at that location. According to Calnev personnel, the derailment prevented Calnev from accessing the pipeline and performing any inspections of the pipeline in that location at that time. Calnev’s activities during the morning of May 12, according to the maintenance superintendent, were confined to remaining on site to make sure that no actions occurred on the part of the railroad or other agencies that could further endanger the pipeline. However, Calnev wanted to reduce further the pressure in the pipeline in the area of the derailment. According to the maintenance superintendent, "What we ideally were going to accomplish was to remove all of the product from the pipeline under the derailment area. As events proceeded, it was determined that that was unfeasible."
At 11:30 a.m., a foreman for Arizona Pipeline Company,[1] permanently assigned to work on Calnev projects, arrived on site to assist Calnev personnel in reducing the pressure in the pipeline. The initial plan was to excavate the pipeline at a location 500 to 800 feet south of Highland Avenue (south of the derailment site), install a fitting for the purpose of tapping
- ↑ A contract company (rather than a pipeline operating company, such as Calnev) that specializes in the installation, maintenance, and repair of underground lines.
