West Linn Wilsonville School District

The Kinder Morgan Pipeline Investigation Materials were last updated in 2018. The firm no longer plans to update the website materials due to time constraints and expense. Time permitting, the firm will continue to post updated information on the firm’s social media pages, including LinkedIn and Facebook.

During the course of his investigation, Shawn has learned that it is common for school districts across the country to elect to build their schools adjacent to pipelines. This is likely the result of limited availability of land to build schools. West Linn Wilsonville School District is no exception. The District purchased the land 20 years after the installation of the Pipeline. When Inza R. Woods Middle School was built between 1979-1980 no buildings were placed on top of the pipeline. Today the Pipeline path is approximately 20 strides from the nearest building and cuts through the school's parking lot. The District has key emergency response plans, but they are not focused on a Pipeline Rupture. The two key responsibilities of the District during a pipeline hazard is 1) the safety and welfare of the children and employees at the school; and 2) effective communication with first responders.

On October 26, 2015 and again on January 4, 2017, the School District confirmed the following:

The District has had no contact with Kinder Morgan or any of its representatives concerning the Santa Fe Petroleum Pipeline (the Pipeline) since 1997.
Prior to September 17, 2014 (the day after Shawn's original Public records request), there were no specific emergency procedures or communication protocols at Inza R. Wood Middle School, Boones Ferry Primary & Lowrie Primary that concerned the Pipeline or addressed a pipeline hazard triggered by a rupture, earthquake or other cataclysmic event. This would include evacuation of students and school personnel away from the Pipeline.
Prior to September 17, 2014, there were no emergency procedures at these three schools that took into account the Pipeline including a pipeline hazard triggered by a rupture, earthquake or other cataclysmic event. This would include parent-child reunification locations away from the Pipeline.
Prior to September 17, 2014, there had not been any specific discussions concerning the Pipeline including any potential pipeline hazard triggered by a rupture, earthquake or other cataclysmic event.
Since September 17, 2014, the District has:
- started to take into account potential hazards caused by Kinder Morgan’s Santa Fe Petroleum Pipeline.
- acknowledged the incorporation of a potential pipeline rupture/ hazard in the overall safety procedures of the above schools in still in process, and not formalized in any written documentation.
- The Safety Committee has now been discussing this issue.
- The District has taken advantage of the information and resources shared with the community on the O'Neil Law LLC website, as well as the links of other sources found on that site.
- The District has reached out to other agencies.
- A national safety consultant retained by the District to address over all safety issues and procedures within the District will also now examine the Pipeline in this process including taking steps to reach out to Kinder Morgan.