This is a response to the Nov. 15 letter “What’s That Smell?” in the Eugene Weekly:

I live in Wilsonville. Two years ago, I found out that there is a huge (8-inch diameter) Kinder Morgan petroleum pipeline running right through the center of this small town.

It was installed in 1962, runs under the Willamette River — three-quarters of a mile upstream from our drinking water treatment facility, and it has a history of leaking into the river, soil and air.

The pipeline pumps 1 million gallons a day of primarily highly explosive jet fuel from Portland, through many towns such as Wilsonville, and ends in Eugene in the Randy Papé Belt Line area between the railroad and the river.

There is a large storage facility located there to distribute the fuel to the nearby trains and to the trucks, which have close access to many highways in that area.

So the contamination in that area is three times worse than in Wilsonville. I’m not at all surprised to hear about propane-like odors in that area.

I researched the Eugene area to let others know that anyone along this pipeline, from Portland to Eugene, needs to protect their own health and safety, since none of the authorities are doing so, and also because I’m considering a move to Eugene.

If I do, I would definitely move far away from that area.

For information about this pipeline and Kinder Morgan, visit shawnoneil.com. 

Robbie Sesso, Wilsonville