CENTRAL FLORIDA PIPELINE CORP

Incident Narrative

"ON 9/4/2024 AT 1300 EDT, WHILE EXCAVATING A DENT FOR A PLANNED INTEGRITY REPAIR, A LEAK WAS FOUND ON THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PIPELINE (PHMSA OPID 2190) 10-INCH TAMPA TO ORLANDO LINE AT A PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED PLIDCO WELD+ ENDS COUPLING. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUTDOWN, AND VALVES CLOSED TO ISOLATE THE SEGMENT. THE COATING ON THE COUPLING WAS FOUND TO BE SATURATED WITH PRODUCT WITH NO VISIBLE DRIPPING. THE VOLUME RELEASED IS ESTIMATED TO BE LESS THAN 0.5 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL. SOIL AND WATER SAMPLES IN THE AREA WERE NEGATIVE FOR CONTAMINATION. ON 9/7/2024, CFPL COMPLETED A 37-FOOT PIPELINE REPLACEMENT TO REMOVE THE FITTING ALONG WITH THE DENT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY THE TARGET OF THE EXCAVATION. ON 9/8/2024 AT 12:40 EDT, CFPL DETERMINED THAT THE REPAIRS HAD EXCEEDED $50,000. THE REQUIRED NRC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE AT 12:50 EDT UNDER NRC REPORT 1410240 AND THE SUBSEQUENT 48-HOUR UPDATE UNDER REPORT 1410295. 6/27/2025 UPDATE: AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE RELEASE ORIGINATED FROM AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED PLIDCO WELD+ ENDS COUPLING. THE INSTALLATION WAS PERFORMED BY A LEGACY (HERITAGE) COMPANY. THE COUPLING INSTILLATION DESIGN REQUIRES THE HEADS OF THE CLAMPING SCREWS TO BE REMOVED, FOLLOWED BY FILLET WELDING OF THE REMAINING THREADED SECTIONS WHERE THE SCREW HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE LOCATION OF ONE OF THE CLAMPING SCREWS. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE WELD FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED, AS THE WELDING PROCEDURE EMPLOYED IS UNKNOWN."