VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC

Incident Narrative

WHILE MOWING THE PAPS STATION TANK FACILITY, A LEAK OF DIESEL PRODUCT WAS DISCOVERED EMANATING FROM AN IN-LINE BOOSTER PUMP SEAL. THE DIESEL WAS SPILLED ONTO THE GROUND SURROUNDING THE PUMP. THE PAPS STATION TANK FACILITY SETS WITHIN AN ""OTHER POPULATED AREA"" HCA. THE SPILL REMAINED CONTAINED WITHIN THE FACILITY AND NO OUTSIDE RECEPTORS WERE AFFECTED. A MONITORED HIGH LEVEL ALARM IS LOCATED INSIDE THE PUMP'S LEAKAGE COLLECTION RESERVOIR, HOWEVER THE COLLECTION BOX DID NOT OVERFILL. THIS IS WHY I ANSWERED ""YES"" ON QUESTIONS 6A-B OF PART E, BUT ""NO"" TO QUESTIONS 6C-D. MAINTENANCE FOR THIS PUMP TYPE IS LIMITED TO SEAL REPLACEMENT OR INTERNAL REPAIR ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. THE NEWLY INSTALLED MECHANICAL SEAL (POST INCIDENT) INCORPORATES A DRAIN PORT ON THE GLAND PLATE. UTILIZING THIS DRAIN PORT TO DIRECT SEAL LEAKAGE TO THE SEAL LEAK BOX IS A MUCH BETTER METHOD OF BOTH COLLECTING LEAKAGE AND FOR ALERTING OPERATIONS OF A POTENTIAL ISSUE WITH THE SEAL. THE OLD SEAL DRAINED TO A SEAL BASIN THAT WAS THEN PIPED TO THE SEAL LEAK BOX. THE SEAL BASIN WAS OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND SUBJECT TO CLOGGING DUE TO GRASS, BUGS AND OTHER DEBRIS. THE NEW SEAL DESIGN ELIMINATES THIS RISK.