Two gas pipelines to Las Vegas out of service

Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004 | 9:53 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

FONTANA, Calif. -- Two pipelines that send gasoline and jet fuel from Southern California to Las Vegas and Phoenix have been shut down after a freight train derailed atop one and the other was exposed when heavy rain washed out soil around it.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, which operates the buried pipelines, said it was unlikely the incidents would lead to a gas shortage in the cities.

"It may not have an effect on anything. It's just going to depend on how long the pipeline is down," said Kinder Morgan spokesman Larry Pierce, adding that it was unclear when the pipelines could be turned back on.

Kinder Morgan shut the lines at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when a train derailed and landed on an exposed segment of 20-inch pipe. The company also shut down a 16-inch pipeline nearby that was washed out by rains. Both pipelines feed into the Colton, Calif., terminal and from there go on to Las Vegas and Phoenix, Kinder Morgan spokesman Rick Rainey said.

Rainey said this morning that rushing water had made it difficult to evaluate the 16-inch pipe, and that the company was still working with the train company to move the overturned cars off the 20-inch pipe. He did not believe there were any leaks and said the company would have a better idea of how long it will take to get the pipes back online later this morning.

Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn's energy adviser, Dick Burdette, said there shouldn't be a supply problem in Las Vegas if the lines could be restarted within a day.

"The best I can tell, there's no reason to be concerned. If they're back up in a day we should be OK," he said. "But if it goes the wrong way, there could be a run on gasoline or diesel."

Burdette said there are numerous storage points in Las Vegas, including a Kinder Morgan storage area, fuel distributors' tanks and fuel retailers' tanks.

Heavy rain from California's first storm of the season washed soil from around one pipeline, which remained underwater Wednesday night.

The other was shut down when three freight cars derailed onto the soil above it. The derailment occurred because soil underneath the tracks had been washed out by water, according to Sue Hood, a dispatch supervisor for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

Businesses and homes in the industrial area nearby were evacuated as a precaution but no injuries were reported, and there were no leaks, Hood said.

Sun reporter

Christina Littlefield and the Associated Press contributed to this story.