A 15-foot deep erosion rill had formed in an unnamed wash due to storm water flows, exposing one of four natural gas pipelines in the area. If left uncovered and unprotected, the pipeline risked further exposure and potential damage due to continued erosion.
The Memphis truck terminal was built on two levels adjacent to the Mississippi River. The upper-level tanks are connected to the truck rack via two separate pipe racks running down a steep slope. The slope between the two levels was approximately 2:1 slope.