More on Alexandria’s ethanol problems: Read city emails on how the facility evolved and who knew what and when.
Read City of Alexandria emails on ethanol transloading facility
You may have figured out from the article we linked to over the weekend on Alexandria, VA’s dealings with an ethanol transloading facility, that it has become a bit of a public relations mess. Citizens are complaining city officials kept their dealings with Norfolk Southern secret for too long.
In the Washington Post article, Mayor William D. Euille, who met with Norfolk Southern back in 2006, blamed senior city staff for the secrecy:
“It’s not my job full time to manage those inquiries and those matters,” Euille said. “That’s why we have a full-time city manager and attorney and fire chief and others.”
Steve Mason, special assistant to the city manager, said, “We failed to notify the community, and we failed to notify the City Council of this situation.”
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, Alexandria posted hundreds of emails between city officials, and between city officials and Norfolk Southern officials and others, on the city run website.
In an effort to provide full disclosure to you, I admit I have no clue how long the email dump has been there, I only discovered it tonight by accident.
If you are one of those who likes to get into the inner workings of governments, you may find some of these emails fascinating. It also might be of use to any community who has to deal with ethanol and a big rail corporation.
Besides the political issues, the emails include discussions of fire safety and code issues. It also details the equipment and foam Norfolk Southern provided the Alexandria Fire Department and how that situation evolved.
Since this is a fire service website, we should point out as you read these memos, and make note of the the mayor’s comment above, Adam Thiel didn’t become chief of the Alexandria Fire Department until August, 2007.
Below is what is apparently the first electronic message about the facility:
To: Robert Rodriguez; Maurice Jones/Alex
Subject: Norfolk Southern Ethanol transfer facility site plan and fire lines
From: Gregg Fields/Alex
Date: 20 Jun 2006 12:02:44
Bcc:
Cc: Arthur Dahlberg/Alex
——————————————————————————–
Art has asked me to forward contact information for Norfolk Southern. They are installing a new Ethanol Transfer facility on Metro Road (across from Virginia paving). They want to be sure they are complying with any City requirements and would like to submit a site plan and fire line locations for your review. The gentleman’s name is Kelly Mehan and his phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx X 23. He will be calling you shortly. Thanks.
Gregg Fields
Engineering Supervisor
City of Alexandria, Code Enforcement
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx x134 Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Fast forward almost two years, to a series of emails on April 4, 2008. That’s when Chief Fire Marshal Robert Rodriguez discovered the facility would soon be up and running and sent this email at 1:54 PM:
All –
I have just driven by the Norfolk Southern yard and there are ten brand new tank cars located on the siding inside the perimeter fence. We also just received another phone requesting to place keys in the Knox Box at the facility and meet with on site staff to go over the plant / process. Please advise if we need to take any further action.
Thanks,
Bob
It was only a little more than a half-hour later that Chief Thiel notified his bosses it was time to sound the alarm, so his Northern Virginia fire service partners knew what he knew:
Adam Thiel/Alex
04/04/2008 02:31 PM
To
cc Jim Hartmann/Alex@Alex, Michele Evans/Alex@Alex, Ignacio Pessoa/Alex@Alex, John Catlett/Alex@Alex, Robert Rodriguez/Alex@Alex
Subject Re: Fw: Ten rail tank cars now at the Norfolk Southern facilityLink
I generally understand the political/legal sensitivities/implications associated with this change-of-use at the Norfolk Southern Intermodal Ramp.
That said, we are now “way behind” in terms of our preparation/readiness for an emergency event involving bulk quantities of ethanol. Our needs go far beyond site familiarization and training on the transloading process. We do not have the equipment or supplies to handle a fire at this site; and neither do our regional partners. (I.e., we can’t just call for mutual-aid and get what we need.)
There’s a lot we need to do at this point…recommend we get a meeting of the principals together ASAP.
Also, we need to notify our Operations folks, VDEM, and FFX/ARL counties without delay.
Thanks!
Adam
