Tag Archive for: safety

Sand Mine Continues to Push Its Luck by Mining Over and Between Pipelines

Last year, the flood during Tropical Storm Imelda washed out the sand supporting a natural gas pipeline running across an easement through the Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter. Luckily, Kinder Morgan (KM) shut the line down before anyone was hurt. KM then drilled 75 feet under the mine and spliced in a new section. But now Triple PG is mining over the new section, once again eroding the the public’s margin of safety.

Of course, it’s possible that the miners won’t get down to 75 feet. But TACA and some West Fork sand mines say they routinely mine 100 feet down.

Eroding Margin of Safety

Just as bad, they’re mining toward five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids (HVL), potentially exposing them in the next flood, just like they were on the West Fork at the LMI River Road Mine.

The Kinder Morgan natural gas line runs diagonally between the trees in the foreground, parallel to helicopter skid in the lower left. Five HVL pipelines run in the utility corridor in the background.
Here’s how that same area looked after Imelda on 9/27/2019, when Caney Creek (right) had flowed through the mine.

Shortly before Harvey, the sand mine started mining next to the road cutting diagonally from top left to bottom right. Then, Harvey flowed through the mine, creating much of the erosion you see here.

Two years later, Imelda cut through the mine again, extending the erosion headward to the point where it could threaten the HVL pipelines in the utility corridor near the top of the frame above during the next flood.

In two years, the headward erosion cut toward the pipelines by 2000 feet.

Triple PG Already Operating Under Injunction

The sand mine sits at the confluence of two floodways and floods repeatedly.

On October 11, 2019, the State Attorney General at the request of the TCEQ, filed a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction against the sand mine. Repeated breaches of its dikes which had gone unrepaired allowed process wastewater to escape directly into the headwaters of Lake Houston. The issue even became part of the last Mayoral campaign when Tony Buzbee picked it up.

A Travis County Court set a trial date for 6/22/2020, but the trail has been delayed by COVID. Shortly after the Attorney General filed his suit, the owner of the mine, a cardiologist from Nacogdoches, tried to transfer ownership within his family’s companies and trusts.

The attorney general wound up suing all of them and the cardiologist’s attorney petitioned to withdraw from the case as counsel – a highly unusual move.

The case is still pending trial. Until then, the mine continues to operate under an injunction which prohibits it from dredging, but not dry mining.

Source: Travis County Clerk
Source: Travis County Clerk as of 9/30/2020

2020 will certainly go down in history as the year of living dangerously. A miner trying to push his luck is just one more thing we shouldn’t have to worry about…especially when he’s sitting on top of a huge stockpile of sand that he has barely touched in months.

No one has died yet. Hopefully they won’t. But if they do, it won’t take long for a lawyer to argue negligence and triple damages for the Triple PG owners. Of course, they will then likely declare bankruptcy and tuck tail back to Nacogdoches.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/30/2020

1128 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 377 since Imelda

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.

Boating Safety around Dredges

Now you see it. Now you don’t. Watch out for submerged pipeline.

This public service announcement paid for by the School of Hard Knocks. Please send this link to every boater you know. It could save a friend’s life.

Near Miss with Dredge

Today, I received yet another request to remind boaters about safety issues on the West Fork. A near miss prompted the request.

Dredging has attracted a higher than usual number of boaters.

In this incident, a boater zoomed up from behind a dredge at a high rate of speed just as the dredge was swinging a cutter head into his path. Luckily the man is OK, but he nearly decapitated himself on a cable.

While the San Jacinto may seem like a big river, it’s not – especially when numerous small boats are trying to maneuver around two 200-foot dredges, six booster pumps, 10 miles of 24″ pipeline, welding equipment, supply boats, cranes, backhoes, and support barges.

The Main Safety Dangers

When you see a dredge, remember that it’s there for a reason. The river is shallow. Watch out for:

  • Sand bars that the dredge is working on
  • Cables as the dredge swings its cutter head from side to side.
  • Submerged pipe
  • Backhoes that are rotating on pontoons

Common-Sense Precautions

Stay away. Boat somewhere else. If you must be on the West Fork:

  • Go slow around dredges, especially when coming from the rear.
  • Leave plenty of room between yourself and the dredge.
  • Stay as far from them as you can.
  • Remember: they have equipment that swings from side to side. It’s guided by cables that you may not see until it’s too late.
  • Make eye contact with the dredge’s operators. They’re focused on their work and not looking for you.
  • Don’t create a wake that will rock their boats, barges, pontoons or pipelines.
  • Don’t expect them to get out of your way; they can’t maneuver like you.

There’s never been anything quite like this on the river within the memory of most living people. Recreational boaters on Lake Houston just aren’t familiar with the safety protocols around such equipment. The easiest and safest thing is just to boat, canoe or kayak somewhere else.

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Bob Rehak

418 Days since Hurricane Harvey