SFPP, LP
hazardous_liquid Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | SFPP, LP |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 37.28121, -120.44939 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON JULY 13TH AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 AM PACIFIC TIME, HOUSTON CONTROL CENTER WAS NOTIFIED BY MERCED FIRE DEPARTMENT OF A FIRE ON LS-60 NEAR THE GERARD BLOCK VALVE AT GERARD AVENUE AND DOPPLER AVENUE IN MERCED, CA. LS-60 WAS SHUT DOWN, AND FRESNO AREA ROW PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE. MERCED FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE FIRE, AND IT WAS EXTINGUISHED AT 4:14 AM. ROW PERSONNEL FOUND THE FIRE HAD BEEN LOCALIZED ON THE ABOVEGROUND PORTION OF THE BLOCK VALVE. THE FITTINGS TO THE VALVE'S PACKING PORTS HAD BEEN LOOSENED BY UNKNOWN PERSONS CAUSING GASOLINE TO DRIP FROM THE PORTS. THE GASOLINE DRIP STOPPED ONCE THE FITTINGS WERE TIGHTENED. THE ESTIMATED RELEASE AMOUNT IS 3.4 GALLONS. LOCAL POLICE AND TSA WERE NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT, AND THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING. 10/1/2024 UPDATE: KINDER MORGAN HAS COMPLETED ITS INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AND IS SUBMITTING THIS SUPPLEMENTAL FINAL. KINDER MORGAN'S INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WAS UNAUTHORIZED OPERATION/TAMPERING OF THE LS-60 GERARD BLOCK VALVE. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, KINDER MORGAN RELOCATED THE PACKING PORTS BELOW GRADE. FENCING WITH BARB WIRE AS WELL AS A VALVE ENCLOSURE SECURED BY CHAINS AND LOCKS WERE INSTALLED TO PREVENT FURTHER TAMPERING.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.