TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 1, 2018
COMMITTEE ON MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Final report on emergency Contract 17-900-02, Emergency Railroad Track Repair Work at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, to Track Services, Inc., Purchase Order 5001635, Account 101-69000-612670
Body
Dear Sir:
On Thursday, November 9, 2017, at 11:00 am, a District train transporting biosolids to LASMA derailed south of the Post Digestion Centrifuge Building in the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant, causing damage to the associated railroad tracks. By 8:00 p.m. that evening, the District Trades successfully completed re-railing of three side dump railroad cars, allowing the train to clear the area.
The derailment caused damage to railroad crossties, tie plates, hook plates, rail anchors and spikes, and resulted in extensive widening of the gauge between the rails. The cause of the derailment was aged railroad crossties in the affected section of track. The crossties allowed the rails to move out of gauge just enough for the railroad car wheels to fall between them and onto the railroad crossties and ballast. Human operational error was not a cause, nor did it contribute to the derailment in any way. In fact, immediate intervention by the Engineer to stop the train significantly lessened the collateral damage that would have otherwise been sustained by the track system.
Immediate repairs were deemed necessary to protect the public health and the environment.
The cost to complete the work was initially estimated to be $90,000.00 with a corresponding duration of two (2) weeks.
On November 13, 2017, in accordance with Section 11.5 of the Purchasing Act, the Director of Maintenance and Operations declared an operating emergency to perform immediate repairs to the railroad track, in the amount of $50,000.00. In addition, at the Board Meeting of November 16, 2017, an increase to the existing Maintenance and Operations Contract 14-987-11, “Railroad Track Maintenance in the Stickney Service Area”, was approved in the amount of $40,000.00.
On November 15, 2017, Track Services, Inc., began all repair work. Final completion of all emergency repairs was achieved on December 1, 2017. The final cost was $80,189.42, of which $49,994.33 was provided under Emergency Contract No. 17-900-02 and the remaining $30,195.09 was provided under Contract 14-987-11 (PO 5001500).
Respectfully submitted, John P. Murray, Director of Maintenance and Operations, BAP:SO’C:MAG:JMC:WB:RTR