CARLSBAD'S BRINE WELL 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a brine well?
Brine wells are used to produce brine water for oilfield services. A brine well is created by drilling down into a layer of natural salt and injecting fresh water into the salt layer. The water dissolves the salt, creating an underground cavity from which salt (brine) water is pumped back to the surface for use in oilfield applications. There are a number of active brine wells in southeast New Mexico.
Why is there a concern about this well?
The location of the subject brine well and the potential size of the well cavity are the reasons for concern. The well cavity is very similar in age, depth, and apparent size to two other nearby brine well cavities that have collapsed, creating sinkholes. The other wells were in unpopulated rural areas. This well is located in a populated area and near the intersection of U.S. Highway 285 and U.S. 62/180, a prime artery into the city. Also, its proximity to the Carlsbad Irrigation District canal, which provides water to area farmers, adds another dimension of uncertainty and potential problems.
Who is working on a solution?
The Carlsbad Brine Well Technical Subcommittee is a city advisory board consisting of experts in pertinent fields that makes recommendations to city leaders regarding how to monitor and remediate the cavity. The subcommittee is a part of the Carlsbad Brine Well Working Group, which includes emergency management, financial, legal and public communications committees. These groups meet on a regular basis.
What is being done?
Phase 1 of the plan to remediate the cavity basically involves finding out all there is to know about the cavity by reentering the well, lowering sonar equipment into the void and mapping the cavity's shape. Experts on the technical subcommittee will analyze the results and then make a recommendation, which could range from continued monitoring to backfilling portions of the cavity.
How will the city know if a collapse is about to occur?
RESPEC, a consulting firm, regularly monitors ground movement around the well area. The early warning monitoring system, which consists of tilt meters, tilt plates and other detection instruments, is designed to alert emergency response personnel to changes in ground movement. RESPEC routinely checks data from the monitoring system for seismic trends. Since monitoring began in 2009, there has been little change in the brine well area.
What will be done if a collapse occurs?
A collapse could be anything from slow ground subsidence to a large sinkhole. The monitoring system will likely alert the city, hours in advance, to an impending collapse. If the monitoring system picks up any major seismic changes, a "pre-alert" stage will be activated in which law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical services will be placed on standby and members of the Carlsbad Brine Well Technical Subcommittee will review the data to decide if it is time to begin an evacuation. Once an evacuation is underway, rescue teams will begin staging near the scene. Police will begin with road closure plans, and public works will begin terminating utilities in the immediate area.
What should I do if there is a collapse?
If an evacuation is ordered, Carlsbad Police Department's dispatch will call businesses and residents in the vicinity to let them know of the evacuation. Individuals in this area will leave by their own vehicles for one of two rally points. Residents will be allowed to bring pets with them. A temporary home for pets has been set up if there is an evacuation. Concerned area residents who live outside of the evacuation area may evacuate as well.
What is the evacuation area and who is immediately affected?
The evacuation area consists of the following −El Dorado Estates, Circle S Feed Store, Agri-Empresa Inc., United Truck Stop, Western Commerce Bank (southern branch), and the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall. Residents and business owners will be notified of the evacuation.
Where do I go if there is a collapse and I am asked to evacuate?
In the event of an evacuation, the parking lot of Wal-Mart and the parking lot of the Valor building have been set up as rally points. There, residents who live in the evacuated area will be asked to check in and will receive additional information and assistance. Of course, rescue workers may have to make last minute adjustments to the rescue plan to ensure public safety.
Will detours be set up?
A map of planned detours around the brine well area is provided here. Becoming familiar with the detours now will save you time and assist emergency response efforts.
How can I help prepare?
If you live in the vicinity of the brine well, put down all vital information about you, your family and your pets on an index card or a piece of paper. Please include all essential medical information, along with anything else you believe would help emergency personnel during an evacuation. Please also have all of your family's important medication and financial information in an easily accessible location, so that you can take it with you. Remember that such an evacuation, if it ever occurs, would likely take place hours before the possibility of a collapse. The safest thing for you and your family is to remain calm and comply with law enforcement during the process.
How do I get more information?
The Carlsbad Brine Well Working Group is committed to providing information to the public on a regular basis. Routine updates on progress are shared with local members of the media and the community. If you have any questions about this issue, please contact the City's Information Line at 311 or 575-887-1200 during the hours of 8a.m. to 5p.m., Monday through Friday--except holidays.
Brine Well Joint Information Center - your source for emergency information.
A Joint Information Center will be established for public and media inquiries should a collapse occur. That telephone number is 575-234-7290. The media and public are advised to stay clear of the brine well area so as not to interfere with emergency response efforts. Scheduled news briefings for media and the public will be conducted at 4021 National Parks Highway in the Skeen-Whitlock Building auditorium, as needed. 
MAP HERE
It is important to emphasize that the Joint Information Center provides emergency information updates only. If you need assistance for a medical, fire or other emergency, call 911.
Emergency Response Plan: Eddy County's Office of Emergency Management, working with the Carlsbad Police Department, the Carlsbad Fire Department and other agencies, has developed a brine well emergency response plan.
The Response Plan stages are:
Green: Day to day monitoring
This is where we are right now. The City of Carlsbad is continually monitoring in a large area around where the brine well is located.
Yellow: Early warning alarm activated
This "pre-alert" stage will be activated if the monitoring system picks up any major seismic changes. Law enforcement, firefighters and EMS will be placed on standby, and members of the city's Brine Well Technical Sub-committee will review all information to decide if it is time to begin an evacuation.
Orange: Surface Fractures Visible/Collapse Imminent
At this point, the evacuation will be underway and the rescue team will begin staging near the scene. Police will begin with road closure plans, and public works will begin terminating utilities in the immediate area.
Red: Collapse Underway
The evacuation process should be complete by now. Rescue teams are on standby if needed. The technical team will continue to monitor ongoing signs of subsidence.
Purple: Catastrophic Collapse
A catastrophic collapse is any collapse which would take place before evacuation and traffic control take place. The goal is to avoid such a collapse, but if one were to occur, rescue efforts would take place at the same time as the evacuation process.
|
|
|
|
