PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency on Monday because of a leak that prompted a shutdown of the Olympic Pipeline in Washington.
Oregon gets 90% of its fuel from the pipeline. The pipeline feeds terminals in Portland, where fuel is then distributed throughout the state.
While Oregon is currently not experiencing any shortage of fuel because of the Olympic Pipeline’s shutdown, the governor’s executive order aims to keep an “adequate supply of fuel” flowing into the state through other means.
The governor’s office said during the shutdown, fuel will be delivered to the state through barges and trucks.
Kotek’s executive order essentially allows coordination among state agencies, specifically the Department of Emergency, the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation, to respond to the emergency and allow them to activate plans and provide temporary waivers of regulations where needed, especially around fuel delivery.
Meanwhile, crews in Washington are working around the clock to determine the source of the leak, which prompted the pipeline’s shutdown last week.
The pipeline provides fuel for flights out Sea-Tac, which is an airport often used by Portland travelers during layovers.
There is concern the leak could impact holiday flights, although as of Monday night, impacts have been minimal. Fuel is being delivered to the airport.
There is also concern the shutdown will impact gas prices. Kotek’s office said Oregonians may see higher prices at the pump because of the cost of using other ways of getting fuel into state other than through the pipeline.
The leak has also prompted worries over environmental impacts.
“Pipeline spills are quite different than those of ships, in that they can go a long time before being detected. And this is the great challenge with, I believe, that appears to be in this case, that a small leak can persist for some time,” said Fred Felleman, an environmental consultant.
Despite requests from U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, last week, BP still hasn’t shed any light on how expansive this latest leak may be or the damage it may have caused.
This is now the third known time the pipeline has leaked in the past five years.
