COLONIAL PIPELINE CO
hazardous_liquid Incident — — January 2, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | January 2, 2023 |
| Operator | COLONIAL PIPELINE CO |
| Commodity | REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 36.07123, -79.93687 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $1,700 |
| Emergency Response | $25,000 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"ON JANUARY 02, 2023, WHILE CONDUCTING A ROUTINE YARD CHECK, A COLONIAL EMPLOYEE, OBSERVED THE LINE 02 SUMP PUMP SEAL SPRAYING PRODUCT, AS WELL AS STAINED GRAVEL IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE EMPLOYEE ISOLATED THE EQUIPMENT BY CLOSING BOTH DISCHARGE VALVES ON THE LINE 02 SUMP PIPING AND INITIATED CONTAINMENT OF THE RELEASED PRODUCT. ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTORS WERE MOBILIZED TO AID IN CONTAINMENT AND REPAIR. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE OF A SUMP CHECK VALVE CAUSED PRESSURE TO BACK UP ON THE SUMP DISCHARGE LINE RESULTING IN THE SEAL FAILURE ON THE SUMP PUMP. UPDATE: INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE KEROSENE DIVIDER FAILED TO OPEN AND CAUSED A MANIFOLD RELIEF EVENT. WHEN THE MANIFOLD RELIEF ACTUATED, PRESSURE BACKED UP ON THE SUMP DISCHARGE LINES AND A CHECK VALVE ON THE LINE 2 SUMP. WHEN THE CHECK VALVE WAS DISMANTLED, EXTENSIVE VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED INCLUDING THAT THE VALVE CLAPPER HAD FALLEN OFF."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.