DOD DEFENSE ENERGY SUPPORT CENTER

Incident Narrative

ON 3/26/24, SGI/APEX WAS CONDUCTING CONTINUITY TESTING OF AN OUT-OF-SERVICE NAVY PIPELINE (OSFM LINE #0069) IN ANTICIPATION OF A PIGGING PROJECT TO ABANDON THE PIPELINE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OSFM, CALFIRE REQUIREMENTS. WORK WAS CONDUCTED FOR THE US NAVY-NAVFAC BY SGI/APEX, SUBCONTRACTOR TO POND, THE PROJECT'S PRIME CONTRACTOR. CONTINUITY TESTING WAS PERFORMED TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE PIPELINE WAS CONTINUOUS AND TIGHT BEFORE INSERTING A CLEANING PIG TO EVACUATE ALL POTENTIAL LIQUIDS. AS PART OF THE CONTINUITY TESTING, SGI/APEX MOBILIZED TO THE DFSP SAN PEDRO MARINE TERMINAL AND INSTALLED THE NECESSARY PARTS AND FITTINGS NECESSARY TO PRESSURIZE LINE 0069. SGI USED AN AIR COMPRESSOR TO PRESSURIZE THE LINE. DURING PRESSURIZATION, SGI/APEX TECHNICIANS RAISED THE PRESSURE TO 10 PSI AND OBSERVED MINOR AIR RELEASE FROM THE FITTINGS INSTALLED FOR THE TESTING, WHICH RESULTED IN FALLING LINE PRESSURE. THE TEST FITTINGS WERE TIGHTENED, AND THE TEST WAS CONDUCTED AGAIN. THE FITTINGS DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF RELEASING, SO THE TIGHTNESS TESTING WAS RESUMED. SGI/APEX INCREMENTALLY INCREASED THE LINE PRESSURE BEYOND THE INITIAL 10 PSI AND OBSERVED THAT THE PRESSURE WAS NOT HOLDING STEADY. SGI/APEX IMMEDIATELY RELIEVED THE PRESSURE FROM THE PIPELINE. A NAVFAC ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN ASSIGNED TO THE PROJECT (ANDRES OLMOS) INFORMED SGI/APEX OF A CALL FROM THE PORT OF LONG BEACH NOTIFYING HIM OF A RELEASE ORIGINATING FROM THE TOTAL TERMINALS INTERNATIONAL, LLC FACILITY (TTI), WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NAVY MOLE WEST OF THE MARINE TERMINAL IN LONG BEACH. THE LIQUIDS RELEASED APPEARED TO BE A MIXTURE OF FUEL AND WATER. THE AREAS IMPACTED BY THE RELEASE INCLUDED: THE SOIL AREA NEAR THE ON-SITE RAIL LINE, THE ADJACENT ASPHALT PAVED LOT, A STORMWATER CATCH BASIN WITHIN THE PAVED LOT, WHICH DIVERTED A FRACTION OF THE RELEASE INTO AN OUTFALL, WHICH DISCHARGED INTO THE LONG BEACH HARBOR. A SLIGHT SHEEN COULD BE OBSERVED ON THE WATER, WHICH DISSIPATED WITHIN 2 - 3 HOURS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RELEASE RESULTED FROM AN UNCAPPED BURIED 2-INCH VENT LINE EXTENDING FROM LINE #0069 UP TO 6 INCHES BELOW GRADE. THE VENT WAS FITTED WITH A NEW VALVE AND PLUG. FLOATING BOOMS WERE DEPLOYED IN THE HARBOR AROUND THE STORMWATER OUTFALL. ABSORBENT PADS AND BOOMS WERE ALSO PLACED AROUND ONSITE DRAINS AND THE STORM DRAIN WAS CLEANED. IMPACTED SOIL WAS EXCAVATED AND TRANSPORTED OFF-SITE FOR PROPER DISPOSAL AND THE SITE WAS BACKFILLED WITH CLEAN IMPORT FILL.