On
June 10, 1999, a
gasoline pipeline owned by the
Olympic Pipe Line Company ruptured in the
city of
Bellingham,
Washington. It
discharged approximately 277,000
gallons of gasoline into
Hanna Creek and subsequently into
Whatcom Creek, a three- to four-
mile long coastal
stream which runs through a
city park,
residential neighborhoods, and
urban industrial areas before emptying into
Bellingham Bay. As the gasoline was carried down the creek, the
fumes were ignited, causing three
human deaths and
impacting a variety of natural resources along the creekâs
path. It was like a
river of
fire running right through the city, and the children playing in the creek at the time didn't have a chance.
Evidence suggests that the Olympic Pipe Line Company was aware of the rupture up to twenty-four hours before the explosion; reports were filed by several individuals stating that an "orange-colored, smelly film" was floating on top of the water in Whatcom Creek. No warning was issued and no statement was made, and the shockwave of the explosion echoed throughout the city.
I was walking away from my apartment when the explosion occurred. I looked up into the sky and saw a great black cloud hovering over the Whatcom Falls Park area, out near my girlfriend's parents' house, in the middle of a clear blue sky. I remember thinking that such a thunderhead in a clear sky was rather odd, when my friend Byron pulled up in his car -- he was delivering pizzas -- rolled down his window, and shouted "Hey Bjorn, the town is exploding!" and drove off.
Huh?
Looked at the sky again.
Oh. The town is exploding.
And I broke into a run.