Union Pacific Railroad - Kansas
Fuel Storage Facility Upgrades
When Union Pacific acquired another railroad, it took possession of an existing railyard that included a fuel storage and distribution operation. Facility audits determined that the diesel fuel facilities did not comply with current fire, OSHA or EPA codes related to spill containment.
UP retained Argus to provide design services required to bring the facility into compliance. Upgrades at the storage facility included a new appropriately sized containment dike, six-foot concrete dike wall, HDPE dike liner, security fencing, drainage infrastructure and tank gauging apparatus. Above-ground distribution piping serving the truck loading/unloading racks and the service track were sleeved inside a secondary containment pipe or contained such that spills would be directed to the on-site treatment facility.
Union Pacific Railroad – California
Design and Upgrade of Evaporation Ponds
Union Pacific retained Argus to design upgrades to aging evaporation ponds at their Lathrop and Roseville, California facilities. Not only were the ponds and liners more than 20 years old, they were not large enough for current operations, and drainage infrastructure needed upgrading. Expanded facility operations at Lathrop also created a need for additional storage of stormwater runoff.
Argus prepared design drawings and specifications for the relining of two 50-foot by 50-foot ponds with an HDPE liner, the construction and lining of a new 50-foot by 100-foot pond, and drainage system modifications to prevent overtopping and contain petroleum spills. For the Roseville facility, we prepared design documents for the relining of a 180-foot by 220-foot evaporation pond. We also designed a cable-supported netting system – a low-cost, yet effective way to deter water fowl from accessing the ponds. This design was later standardized for use at all UP facilities.
Union Pacific O&M Manual Development
Multiple Locations
Argus Consulting assisted Union Pacific in developing operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals for fueling facilities at four locations: Seattle, Washington; Pocatello, Idaho; Elko, Nevada; and North Platte, Nebraska. These facilities included pipeline, truck and tank car receipt, storage tanks, piping, truck fill stations, diesel shops and locomotive dispensing. Locomotive servicing utilities included diesel fuel, lube and journal oil, and cooling water. Additional support systems were documented as applicable, including used oil, sanitary dump, fire protection and safety eyewash/showers.
Argus conducted site visits, documenting information on each location’s storage, equipment and configuration. Visits including sketching flow diagrams for each system, documenting all equipment with photographs and make and model data. In addition, we interviewed local personnel to document the operating procedures for each system. Using this information, Argus worked within Union Pacific’s existing guidelines to develop an O&M manual for each site. These comprehensive manuals include a physical description of each system, relevant system operation instructions, online links to current O&M manuals for key equipment, photographs to identify the site and key equipment, and flow diagrams for each system.