LOOP LLC

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 29, 2021, HURRICANE IDA MADE LANDFALL IN PORT FOURCHON, LOUISIANA. LOOP LLC'S ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE ASSETS EXPERIENCED EFFECTS OF THE STORM. THE CLOVELLY DOME STORAGE TERMINAL (CDST) IS LOCATED NEAR GALLIANO, LA AND IS OUTSIDE OF LAFOURCHE PARISH HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEE SYSTEM. DUE TO HIGH WATERS AND VAST AMOUNTS OF STORM DEBRIS, THE CDST WAS INACCESSIBLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER HURRICANE IDA PASSED. ONCE CONDITIONS WERE SAFE AND DEBRIS WAS REMOVED FOR SITE ACCESS, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL COMMENCED FACILITY-WIDE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES OF ACCESSIBLE AREAS. ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2021, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL REPORTED A LIGHT SHEEN IN LOOP'S PRIVATE CANALS IN THE CDST. UPON DISCOVERY, THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED OF A RELEASE FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE AT THE CDST FACILITY (NRC # 1315780). ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2021, AN ADDITIONAL 160 FT. X 160 FT. X 40 FT. TRIANGULAR AREA OF OIL ON THE WATER'S SURFACE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE AREA OF THE CAVERN MANIFOLD. THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED AREA WAS REPORTED TO THE NRC (NRC # 1315932). THIS AREA HAD A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF STORM DEBRIS CONSISTING OF UPROOTED VEGETATION AND OTHER ORGANIC MATERIAL, WHICH MADE SITE INACCESSIBLE. A FINAL NRC UPDATE WAS MADE ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 AFTER ADDITIONAL DEBRIS REMOVAL REVEALED AN ADDITIONAL AREA APPROXIMATELY 100' X 200' OF OIL ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER (NRC # 1316385). THE TOTAL ESTIMATE OF RELEASED PRODUCT TO WATER AT THIS TIME IS 46.81 GALLONS. AFTER ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT IN THE CAVERN MANIFOLD AREA, THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE WAS DISCOVERED TO BE DISCHARGING FROM THE CAVERN MANIFOLD SUMP. AS PART OF STORM PREPARATIONS, PIPING THAT DRAINS TO THIS SUMP WERE ISOLATED. THE ASSESSMENT REVEALED THAT A DRAINLINE VALVE THAT FLOWS INTO THIS SUMP WAS KNOCKED PARTIALLY OPEN BY DEBRIS DURING THE STORM EVENT. BECAUSE FACILITY POWER WAS LOST DURING THE STORM, THE SUMP PUMP WAS INOPERABLE, CAUSING THE SUMP TO DISCHARGE. AN ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM WAS DISPATCHED IMMEDIATELY TO CONTAIN THE RELEASE, UPON DISCOVERY OF THE INITIAL OIL ON SURFACE WATER. CONTAINMENT BOOM AND ABSORBENT PADS WERE DEPLOYED AROUND THE ENTIRE CAVERN MANIFOLD AREA. THE SUMP PUMP WAS ENERGIZED VIA A PORTABLE GENERATOR, AND THE REMAINING CONTENTS OF THE SUMP WERE EVACUATED ISOLATING THE SOURCE. WITH THE SOURCE ISOLATED AND THE RELEASE CONTAINED, RECOVERY EFFORTS COMMENCED. THE MAJORITY OF THE RECOVERY EFFORT CONSISTS OF REMOVAL OF CONTAMINATED STORM DEBRIS VIA EXCAVATOR. PART D OF THIS REPORT CONTAINS QUESTIONS REGARDING PLANNED LONG TERM IMPACT ASSESSMENT. LOOP ANTICIPATES NO LONG TERM IMPACT AS ALL THE OIL WAS CONTAINED AND PROMPTLY REMOVED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. WHILE NO IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAS PERFORMED SPECIFIC TO THIS EVENT, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM (EMP) WHICH HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR 40+ YEARS, AS REQUIRED BY LOOP'S FEDERAL AND STATE LICENSES, TO ASSESS IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH LOOP'S OPERATIONS AND/OR ASSOCIATED CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. A PROGRAM REVIEW COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, AS WELL AS A UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE, SERVE AS A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP FOR THE EMP TO INSURE THAT ANY IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH LOOP'S OPERATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE IDENTIFIED AND MITIGATED. THE LOOP EMP IS ADMINISTERED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LOUISIANA OFFSHORE TERMINAL AUTHORITY WITH OVERSIGHT BY UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CAPTAIN OF THE PORT AND THE SECRETARY OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT.