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The county OK’d a permit last week for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners to remove an oak tree next to its petroleum pipeline on the Iron Horse Trail in Alamo that residents fear is an accident waiting to happen.
“We’re working to do it as quickly as we can,” said Kinder Morgan spokeswoman Emily Thompson yesterday. “We don’t have a date yet. We’re working through some final steps.”
“Weather was an issue,” she added.
The petroleum pipeline is mostly underground alongside the Iron Horse Trail. But just south of La Serena Avenue a bridge on the trail crosses a seasonal tributary of the San Ramon Creek and the pipeline is exposed as the land dips down.
The massive oak tree is growing on the creek banks, and its large roots are inches from the pipeline. Both are clearly visible from the wooden bridge over the tributary.
People fear that the tree or a large branch may fall down on top of the pipeline, and the county has pruned it to make it safer. The county also has cut back the ivy for a clearer view of the tree roots and the pipeline.
“The tree in question has been discussed and MAC members have all agreed that they wanted to proceed to have the tree removed,” said David Bowlby, chairman of the Alamo Municipal Advisory Council.
This was one of the first items addressed by the MAC, which began meeting in November. “We’ve had a few requests from concerned citizens to have this agendized,” Bowlby said.
Public awareness of the Kinder Morgan petroleum pipeline was raised in November 2004. A backhoe operator working on a water main for the East Bay Municipal Utilities District struck the high pressure Kinder Morgan gasoline line along the South Broadway extension in Walnut Creek. The explosion sent a fireball 60 feet into the air, killed five workers and badly burned five others.
In the last year, Contra Costa County has had two arborists study the Alamo oak tree and its proximity to the creek-crossing pipeline; one report was made April 22, the other Oct. 28.
“Certain trees are protected by a county ordinance so the application to remove the tree was submitted to us,” said Will Nelson, senior planner with the county Department of Conservation and Development. “At the beginning it was covered by ivy so it was difficult for the first arborist to get a true sense of what the issue was.”
The arborists stated that the tree has a 48-inch diameter but did not estimate its age, said Nelson. One report noted that “potential targets” of the tree are the Kinder Morgan pipeline as well as PG&E power lines.
The second arborist gave two options to mitigate the hazard, said Nelson. “Remove the tree immediately or manage the size of the tree.”
“I’m not an arborist but I do know that when you start getting into removal of limbs it can put the tree out of balance,” he added.
Kinder Morgan must plant new trees to make up for the loss of the old oak, which was discussed at the Dec. 15 Alamo MAC meeting. The county has suggested 12 trees that are 15 gallon in size, said County Planner John Oborne. Alamo resident Mike Gibson suggested that the new trees be planted behind Alamo Plaza where the landscape is a bit barren.
What part of “remove the tree immediately” don’t they understand??
Dear Dolores,
The original Southern Pacific Pipe Line Company right of way is a federal right of way that is currently managed by Kinder Morgan. That right of way can be documented by Union Pacific documents held in Omaha Nebraska. Although Kinder Morgan is offering concern for the nearby property of the Iron Horse Trail, they have no obligation beyond protecting the safety of the pipe line along a federal right of way. Therefore our county is not in-charge of the results and should be looking for Kinder Morgan consideration under federal right of way obligations.
David Bowlby, appropriately, is focused on resolve of the danger, but must not be focused on any county authority for its mitigation.
Hal/CDSI
Why can’t they move the pipeline a little bit away from the tree?
There seems to be a repeated pattern in this community about destroying beautiful trees.
It’s a steel bridge that the Iron Horse Trail crosses over…
The guys who died in the Walnut Creek explosion were trying to “move the pipeline a little bit.”
Dear Dolores,
This exchange reminds me of a story from long ago in Napa. It seems the train was heading south out of Napa and was hit by a car on Imola Avenue. The lady, a school teacher, who had hit the train at the same spot before noted, “Why can the train swerve a little to the left so I can avoid hitting it?”
Laughter for a Friday morning,
Hal/CDSI
Let’s give Kinder Morgan credit where it is due and give some context to the term “immediately”. It was obvious that the tree should be removed early in 2009 when they applied for a permit. The county and the AIA required that they get an arborist to bless the removal. Two arborists and a tree trimming later – paid for by KM, not the county – and AIA approved the removal of the tree, provided they plant twelve new ones. I believe the county had to get signatures from a few more agencies before it could approve the removal.
I would not have asked for new trees but would have required that KM empty the pipeline during the tree removal. I hope that they will have the sense to do this anyway.
Hey…spcwt, great idea. Why don’t we just move everything away from all the trees and let the trees take over.
I some times wonder how some people function and think. So far I read a Danville lady and her husband will not drive on Harts Ave. because the trees were removed, they will only drive on Railroad and another lady will not shop in Danville because a few trees may be removed when the old, old Danville hotel project starts.
My heavens…what a group.
I need another cup of coffee…
I surprised the old faithful gunslinger hasn’t said anything yet…oh! here it comes.
This is absolutely an issue of IMMEDIATE PUBLIC SAFETY! Can you imagine the national headlines, lawsuits and carnivorous negative press if this tree were to fall, sever the gas line, and have a major conflagration all down San Ramon Creek.
Our leaders have been warned – now do something!
The AIA may have talked about this at their meeting but they could not act because they are a private community group; they can only give input and they can make any kind of recommendation they or their members want to the county like any other citizen which they did. Since they are not an official entity of the county the topic went on the agenda of the Alamo MAC which recommended to the Supervisor to remove it immediately for safety reasons.
Frankly, it appears that for safety and time issues the topic should have gone only to the MAC and saved several months of time dealing with the AIA. But even with the MAC recommending removal quickly the county nor Kinder Morgan have yet acted although finally a tree permit removal is now complete by the county.
Dear Dolores,
Somehow the MAC is given more authority than applies in this federal right-of-way consideration. The reality is who offers the greatest representation of Alamo region neighborhood and community groups and, of course, the reality is the AIA. The MAC is exclusively a function of Contra Costa County District III and operates as volunteer staff with no more authority or influence with governments than current CCC-District III paid staff. At present, by news services polling, the MAC is considered representative of less than 2% of Alamo residents.
Your Forum commentators should be invited to demonstrate a greater interest in Contra Costa County District III and the volunteer staff that are CCC-MAC Alamo members. Just how do the MAC members become realistic representatives of neighborhood and community groups? More importantly, with so many options to direct representation of neighborhood and community groups, how does Alamo justify one more level of county politics in our region as the CCC-MAC Alamo?
The rolf in Ralph N. Shirlet
Kinder Morgan took a couple of months deciding on their own whether or not they wanted to actually proceed with the tree permit for removal of the tree. Because of the cost of its removal, they were seriously condsidering just trimming the tree to reduce the load on the creek bank. When they decided that they wanted to proceed, the AIA made it’s recommendation for removal with mitigation in one meeting. They made a recomendation to the County Zoning Administrator just like the MAC makes a recommendation to the County Zoning Administrator. Neither the AIA nor the MAC “acts” on applications they review.
Dear Dolores,
We can note by the precise quality of the Mike’s commentary that it is Mike Gibson, AIA Board Member, Professional Planner, and AIA liaison to CCC-MAC Alamo. I would suggest all those concerned with the pipe line right of way’s risk meet Mike at CCC-MAC Alamo tonight and pursue interactive discussion of the danger at next week’s AIA Board meeting on Thursday.
While CCC-MAC Alamo makes all advisory through the sole discretion of Mary Piepho, Mike and the AIA Board make their community strength felt directly with county planners, Kinder Morgan, and Federal right-of-way authorities. AIA is the independent voice of neighborhood and community groups that represent >8000 voters in Alamo and more in the Alamo region. Such strength in numbers makes the AIA voice heard with all governments.
Hal/CDSI
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