First responders across Saline County took a proactive approach to emergency preparedness on March 3, participating in a Co2 pipeline response training at Saline Center.
Jefferson County Emergency Manager John McKee attended the training and said trainings like these are important for first responders to be aware of what to do in every situation. He learned about how the pipeline works, what to look for, what equipment to use, how to use gas meters and what steps to take in the event of an incident.
“It’s giving people the ability to respond and not be concerned and have the tools in their toolbox,” McKee said.
Tallgrass runs a natural gas pipeline, Trailblazer, that runs from Beatrice to southeast Wyoming. It runs parallel to another natural gas pipeline that Tallgrass owns, Rockies Express, that runs from Ohio to Wyoming. Since the pipelines run parallel, Tallgrass decided to consolidate the system by moving the natural gas supply from Trailblazer over to Rockies Express. This leaves Trailblazer free to move something else – carbon dioxide (CO2).
Moving carbon dioxide allows ethanol facilities to lower their carbon footprints and better market their products, according to Steve Davidson, vice president of government & public affairs for Tallgrass. And, southeast Wyoming, where Trailblazer ends, has some of the best geology to permanently sequester CO2.
“We realized in working with our ethanol partners in the state that a lot of them are working to lower the carbon intensity of their product, because a lot of the ethanol customers are trying to get a lower carbon biofuel or feedstock, trying to unlock things like sustainable aviation fuel,” Davidson said. “There’s just a lot of opportunities if they can lower that carbon intensity score. It also creates new markets for Nebraska corn.”
CO2 is heavier than air and displaces oxygen, which can cause health problems to those who are exposed to high concentrations of it. The pipeline does not give off any CO2 unless there was to be a leak.
However, Davidson said the pipeline is highly technical and sophisticated and it is highly unlikely that there will be an issue. Tallgrass has been operating the pipeline moving natural gas for more than 10 years and has never had an incident.
Davidson, who was a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Gregory, Texas, said the pipeline has a central control room managed by highly trained technicians 24/7. If there is pressure loss, the control room begins shutting off valves immediately.
Tallgrass has been developing the CO2 project for the past three years and working with landowners and community groups with concerns about the pipeline, which runs through Saline County. Landowner rights advocate Jane Kleeb, who runs Bold Alliance, approached Tallgrass with a list of concerns.
So, Tallgrass and Bold Alliance created a Community Benefits Agreement to legally commit to addressing these concerns. The CBA covers public safety, landowner rights and long-term community investment.
“It’s something that, candidly, not a lot of other companies in the country have done,” Davidson said. “There are some certain things within the CBA itself that no other pipeline company has ever agreed to do. But, for us it was very important because of the consistency of these kinds of comments and things that folks wanted to see addressed.”
As part of its public safety section of the CBA, Tallgrass ran a $400,000 grant program to help provide equipment and tools for first responders. It also created a program to train first responders on how to recognize and respond to a pipeline incident. It contracted the Refinery Terminal Fire Company to run the trainings, ensured the trainings were approved by state government organizations and is holding them across Nebraska and part of Colorado.
Davidson said Tallgrass has held more than 30 trainings thus far, including the recent one in Saline County, and has received lots of positive feedback. He said the pipeline company enjoys being able to talk face-to-face with local communities.
Davidson said he is appreciative of Bold Alliance for being fierce advocates for landowner rights and helping create an agreement that drives significant value in the community.
“It’s been incredibly helpful to get in front of the first responders in these communities and be able to work with them to make sure they understand what we’re planning to do,” Davidson said.
About 20-30 people typically attend each training, and Davidson said they are open to all first responders. There are usually a few people from each first responder organization in the area at each training.
McKee said responding to a CO2 pipeline is different from responding to a gas or oil pipeline, and the hazards to responders are lower in CO2 pipelines. He and his fellow Saline County first responders at the training learned about working with the pipeline company, taking direction from the pipeline company, notifying everyone in the area in the case of an emergency and ensuring everyone’s safety.
“The departments are training for response to this, if something would ever happen,” McKee said. “And, for anything else that's out there, our departments are trying to stay on top of things.”
