Photo by Facebook user Bruce DD Mac Rae
Residents of East Long Beach were shaken this morning by a loud boom followed by about 45 minutes of excessive noise as a pipe carrying high-pressure steam ruptured, causing a large plume of steam to emanate from the power plant on Studebaker Rd. near 2nd St.
Long Beach police and firefighters were sent to Unit 3 at the AES Alamitos Generating Station steam plant at around 7:45AM after the five-inch pipe–which brings steam and water to the boiler–unexpectedly broke, making a sound that many residents described as sounding like a 747 was flying low overhead.
When the rupture occurred, an immediate shutdown of the unit was initiated and the site’s emergency response procedures were followed. Police and fire were on standby while AES verified that all employees were safe and accounted for.
“We always strive to be a good neighbor and are sensitive to the impact the noise may have had on the community, said AES Southland President Eric Pendergraft in a press release. “We responded as quickly as possible to shutdown the facility and minimize the impact.”
The release of steam from the broken pipe caused a visible plume for nearly an hour until the unit was fully depressurized and taken out of service.
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