FLINT HILLS RESOURCES, LC

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 31, 2024, AT 19:47, AN ALARM ON THE UNIT 3 PUMP AT FLINT HILLS RESOURCES' (FHR) WACO PUMP STATION, INITIATED A SHUTDOWN/LOCKOUT SEQUENCE WHICH SHUT DOWN THE UNIT 3 PUMP AND ASSOCIATED VALVES. AN FHR OPERATOR WAS ENROUTE FOR AN UNRELATED REASON AND ARRIVED AT THE SITE AT 20:48. THE OPERATOR WAS ASKED TO CHECK THE UNIT 3 PUMP AS A FOLLOW UP TO THE ALARM. THE OPERATOR OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE UNIT 3 PUMP, WHICH WAS STILL RUNNING. THE OPERATOR ACTIVATED THE PUMP STATION ESD WHICH SHUT DOWN TWO ADDITIONAL PUMPS AND CLOSED THE REMAINING STATION BYPASS VALVES. HOWEVER, THE UNIT 3 PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AND ULTIMATELY CAUGHT ON FIRE. 911 WAS NOTIFIED AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY APPROXIMATELY 21:54. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, GASOLINE WAS OBSERVED IN THE PUMP SKID AND ON THE GROUND. THE GASOLINE WAS CONTAINED AND ONCE THE AREA WAS SAFE TO ENTER, EXCAVATION OF THE CONTAMINATED SOIL BEGAN. PRODUCT WAS COLLECTED IN A ROLL-OFF BOX AND CLEANUP WAS COMPLETE BY NOVEMBER 1. THROUGH INVESTIGATION IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT WHEN THE UNIT 3 PUMP SHUTDOWN/LOCKOUT ALARM OCCURRED, ALL VALVES CLOSED AS EXPECTED, HOWEVER, THE MOTOR/PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN CAUSING AN OVERHEATING SCENARIO RESULTING IN FIRE AND FAILURE OF THE PUMP AND MOTOR. WHEN INSPECTING THE SWITCHGEAR THAT CONTROLS THE PUMP 3 MOTOR, A CONTROL RELAY (MX RELAY) WAS OBSERVED IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND COULD NOT MECHANICALLY MOVE TO THE OPEN POSITION. THE FAILED RELAY ALLOWED THE MOTOR TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT FLOW OF PRODUCT CONTRIBUTING TO THE PUMP OVERHEATING AND ULTIMATELY CATCHING ON FIRE. THE EVENT IS STILL CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION.