WOLVERINE PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND , 2024, A PUBLIC CITIZEN WAS USING THE MUNSTER INDIANA MUNICIPAL TRAIL NEAR THE FISHER STREET BLOCK VALVE WHEN THEY OBSERVED A PETROLEUM ODOR AND VISUAL IDENTIFICATION OF A POSSIBLE LEAK. THE CITIZEN CONTACTED WOLVERINE'S OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER(OCC) TO NOTIFY OF THE SUSPECTED LEAK. WOLVERINE'S OCC DISPATCHED PERSONNEL TO THE BLOCK VALVE FOR VISUAL CONFIRMATION. UPON CONFIRMATION, THE RELEASE WAS REPORTED TO LAKE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER (NRC#1390514) WITHIN 1 HOUR. UPON NOTIFICATION THROUGH NPC, U.S. EPA, INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, AND PHMSA CONTACTED WOLVERINE IN REGARDS TO THE LEAK. THE PIPELINE WAS ISOLATED AND A GRAVITY DRAIN UP WAS PERFORMED TO DISPLACE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AWAY FROM THE BLOCK VALVE AND REMEDIATION EXCAVATION ACTIVITIES WERE IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED. APPROXIMATELY 200 CUBIC YARDS OF DIESEL AND GASOLINE IMPACTED SOIL WAS EXCAVATED AND REMOVED FROM THE SITE. SOIL SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FROM THE SIDEWALLS AND BASE OF THE EXCAVATION AND ANALYZED TO VERIFY THE REMEDIATION OF THE PETROLEUM IMPACTED SOIL. WATER AND SOIL ANALYTICAL RESULTS INDICATED THAT ALL SOIL AND WATER REMEDIATION VERIFICATION SAMPLES WERE LESS THAN IDEM GENERIC RESIDENTIAL CLEANUP CRITERIA. THE VALVE WAS EXCAVATED AND REPAIR ACTIVITIES WERE COMPLETED AND THE PIPELINE WAS RESTORED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS ON 2/3/24. THE VALVE BODY DRAIN PIPING AS DESCRIBED IN PART C WAS SENT OFF FOR METALLURGICAL TESTING. THE BURIED VALVE HAS BODY DRAIN ASSEMBLY PIPING THAT IS ROUTED OFF THE BODY DRAIN VALVE AND THEN UPWARDS TO ABOVE GRADE SO PERSONNEL CAN PERFORM ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE BURIED VALVE. THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE A CRACK IN THE BODY DRAIN PIPING ASSEMBLY ON THE BUSHING END WHERE THE PIPING ASSEMBLY WAS CONNECTED TO THE BODY DRAIN VALVE. TESTING CONCLUDED THAT THE CRACK ON THE BODY DRAIN PIPING ASSEMBLY DEVELOPED DUE TO AN OVERLOAD FORCE (AND/OR PULLING) ON THE PIPE NIPPLE UPWARDS AT THE ELBOW END WHILE THE BUSHING END WAS HELD IN PLACE AT THE VALVE. MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS SUCH AS FROST HEAVING OR EARTH MOVEMENTS. WITH THE VALVE BEING INSTALLED IN 1969, SCHEDULE 40 PIPE WAS UTILIZED IN THE INSTALLATION. CURRENT STANDARDS AND INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES CALL FOR SCHEDULE 160 PIPING. WOLVERINE WILL PERFORM A RISK BASED EVALUATION OF BURIED VALVES AND PRIORITIZE FOLLOW UP ACTIONS. PIPE SCHEDULE AND SUPPORTS OR BRACES TO LIMIT PIPE MOVEMENT WILL BE EVALUATED DURING INSPECTION.