Natural gas compressor explosion

[300mileclub]

Sound Transit (ST) is under contract to Pierce Transit to provide intercity routes. A ST driver confirmed today that:

Pierce Transit is not fueling as many CNG buses at Seatac (an hour run each way from Tacoma) now because they were able to find diesel substitutes to use until their Lakewood CNG station is restored to operation.

The Clean Energy Seatac CNG station (4 dispensers/6 storage tubes) is and will continue to be operational.

The new Port of Seattle CNG station immediately adjacent to CE's Seatac station (3 IMW compressors/4 dispensers/12 storage tubes/bus wash facility) is planned to enter service this year for rental car shuttles from the airport.

[KSneedsCNG]

So was the "root cause" of original post being Seattle explosion at Pierce Transit bldg in March 2011 finally resolved??

Was it indeed internal rust (due to moisture since no dryer) and catastrophic failure of tank storage??

At minimum, need to start getting proper news as one article said "compressor expoded" and other said "gas line explosion" . . . when it likely was instead storage tank explosion.

[300mileclub]

The prior transit board meeting posts only say:

PIERCE TRANSIT BOARD MEETING Oct 10, 2011
... Facilities Maintenance Manager Larry McCarthy said the CNG explosion incident investigation is still on going...Marathon Technical Services was already on site providing forensic engineering services for our insurance carrier.

And, when I talked to the SOUND TRANSIT Bus Driver 27 Jan 2012, he asked if the BOARD vote for service cutbacks/layoffs the night before may have had something to do with it. I told him foul play had been reported to have been ruled out early on by fire investigators. Upcoming Board minutes should eventually make notice of a report when it comes out.

[300mileclub]

http://www.portseattle.org/Business/...-Facility.aspx

The overall Rental Car Facility (RCF) project also includes off-site roadway improvements, a bus maintenance facility, a CNG refueling station for the buses, enhancements at the Main Terminal for the buses and the purchase of the 29-vehicle consolidated busing fleet. Opening planned for March 2012.

The existing public CLEAN ENERGY station is immediately adjacent to this new station.

[300mileclub]

PIERCE TRANSIT MEETING MINUTES 13 Feb13 2012 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

... Facilities Maintenance Manager Larry McCarty gave an update on the CNG Fueling Station. He said construction was still in progress but there with some setbacks from which they are still recovering. He expects to be fueling buses on-site by mid-to-late march. And, the entire project should be completed within the 150 days, mid-to-late April.

http://www.piercetransit.org/pdfs/bo..._12_Agenda.pdf

[300mileclub]

The buses are definitely fueling in the transit yard. There has not been a first hand report from someone fueling a car two blocks away at the public fill CLEAN ENERGY station. But the station has been reactivated on cngprices as operational.

The first notice came from the Pierce Transit board meeting minutes of the March 12 meeting which were posted online after being approved April 9 (see page 4):

http://www.piercetransit.org/pdfs/bo..._12_Agenda.pdf


In the March board meeting update, Manager of Maintenance Bill Spies said it had been just over one year since the fuel station explosion. The new CNG compressor and gas dryer were delivered March 12 and permits were received from the City of Lakewood for installation. The Agency was to begin temporary fueling by the week of March 26 were it not for a delay in the delivery of the compressor and dryer.

CLEAN ENERGY buys the CNG produced in the Pierce Transit yard and supplies a public pump two blocks away by way of three small tubes in a trench. This is also done in San Luis Obispo where the three lines go for about 100 yards.

The accident happened during work initiated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Federal stimulus fund) upgrade of the station's compressor according to Mr. Spies. But an accident report has yet to be made available to suggest a cause.

[300mileclub]

The Pierce Transit CNG station for the fleet buses is operational. But it is still not ready to have the public fill station operated by CLEAN ENERGY down the block reconnected to it.

The word was getting around that all was well and up and running - that is correct for the bus side of the fence. CLEAN ENERGY will be updating the status on cngprices.com when the station becomes operational.

[Hughes]

Re: the article about LNG stations...

So does that mean a CNG Stations as well? Or only LNG?

Hermiston would be a great spot for my trips to Seattle from Salt lake.