COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 0715 CDT ON OCTOBER 7, 2020, PRODUCT (DIESEL) WAS DISCOVERED WITHIN A VAULT SURROUNDING THE LINE 2 UNIT 4 CHECK VALVE BY A TECHNICIAN AT CHURCH POINT STATION. DIESEL FUEL FROM THE CHECK VALVE SPRING COVER ENTERED THE TUBING LINE THAT LEADS TO A LEAK DETECTION BOX. THE LEAK DETECTION BOX HAS A HINGED LID WHICH ALLOWS COLONIAL PERSONNEL TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY EQUIPMENT FAILURES PRIOR TO EXPERIENCING A RELEASE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, ANY PRODUCT THAT ENTERS THE LEAK DETECTION BOX WOULD TRAVEL THROUGH PIPING INTO THE FACILITY SUMP. HOWEVER, DURING THIS EVENT, THE LEAK DETECTION BOX OVERFLOWED FROM THE LID AND INTO AN UNDERGROUND VAULT WHERE IT COLLECTED ON TOP OF STANDING STORM WATER. ADJACENT SOILS SURROUNDING A PORTION OF THE UNDERGROUND VAULT WERE IMPACTED BY DIESEL. ALL FREE PRODUCT CAPTURED WITHIN THE UNDERGROUND VAULT WAS RECOVERED AND PUMPED INTO THE FACILITY SUMP. THE ADJACENT DIESEL-IMPACTED SOILS WERE EXCAVATED AND PLACED INTO A LINED, COVERED ROLL OFF BOX FOR LATER DISPOSAL AT A REGULATED LANDFILL. A SMALL AMOUNT OF DIESEL WAS ALSO COLLECTED WITH ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND SENT OFF-SITE FOR RECYCLING. ALL PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED ON-SITE AND APPROPRIATE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. NOTE: ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 AN OPERATOR DISCOVERED A SMALL LEAK FROM THE CHECK VALVE SEAL ENTERING INTO THE LEAK DETECTION BOX. THE PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE BOX AND WAS DRAINING TO THE SUMP WITH NO STANDING PRODUCT IN THE LEAK DETECTION BOX. REGULAR MONITORING OCCURRED AND DOWNTIME FOR REPAIRS WAS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 8, 2020. THE LEAK DETECTION BOX WAS CHECKED ON AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 6, 2020 WITH NO CHANGE OBSERVED AND THE RELEASE WAS DISCOVERED ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 7, 2020. AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY THE SAME VOLUME LEAKING INTO THE LEAK DETECTION BOX WAS OBSERVED WITH NO VISIBLE STANDING PRODUCT WAS IN THE BOX. INCIDENT ANALYSIS FOUND THAT THE RELEASE WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THE CHECK VALVE CLAPPER SHAFT PACKING. THE COMPONENTS OF THE CHECK VALVE WERE REPAIRED. TO MITIGATE A REOCCURRENCE, THE FACILITY IMPLEMENTED PERIODIC FLUSHING OF THE DRAIN LINES.