COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 03, 2023, A COLONIAL EMPLOYEE WAS PERFORMING A ROUTINE STATION CHECK AT THE WITT BOOSTER STATION IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA. DURING THIS CHECK THE EMPLOYEE OBSERVED NOTICEABLE SHEEN ON THE FACILITY RETENTION POND. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, DISTRESSED VEGETATION WAS DISCOVERED BETWEEN THE LINE 03 DOWNSTREAM ISOLATION VALVE AND THE POND. IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO THE ALPHARETTA CONTROL CENTER AND APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT DISCOVERY, LINE 03 WAS NOT OPERATING IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE MAINTENANCE AT GREENSBORO JUNCTION. CONFIRMED DISCOVERY OCCURRED AT 12:30 AND THE NRC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE AT 13:21. EMERGENCY RESPONSE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE, AND RESOURCES WERE MOBILIZED. AN INCIDENT COMMAND POST WAS ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT THE RESPONSE. THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION HAS IDENTIFIED AN O-RING FAILURE, RESULTING IN THE LEAK. FOLLOWING THE REPAIR OF THE VALVE, LINE 03 WAS RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS ON JANUARY 8, 2023, AT 17:51. A COMPREHENSIVE INCIDENT ANALYSIS IS CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED. UPDATE: AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WAS DUE TO THE COMPRESSION OF THE BONNET O-RING OVER ITS SERVICE LIFE, AND THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS IDENTIFIED AS NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN EXISTED FOR REPLACING SOFT GOODS IN GATE VALVE.