BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP
hazardous_liquid Incident —
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | hazardous_liquid |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 42.28255, -83.14096 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
ON NOVEMBER 30, 2019 BUCKEYE PERSONNEL DISCOVERED A PRODUCT RELEASE FROM A LOW SPEED BOOSTER TANK PUMP. THE PUMP WAS ISOLATED. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE. CLEAN UP ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED AND THE PUMP WAS PUT BACK IN SERVICE. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE MOTOR BEARINGS WAS INSTALLED BACKWARD. INSTALLATION WAS CONDUCTED BY PREVIOUS DETROIT TERMINAL OWNER. THIS ALLOWED THE IMPELLER TO LIFT UPWARD ON PUMP START UP. THE UPWARD LIFT OF THE IMPELLER ALLOWED THE PUMP CASE RING AND IMPELLER TO RUB THAT PRODUCE METAL SHAVING, THE SHAVINGS DAMAGED THE PUMP THROTTLE BUSHING TO SHAFT AND PUMP SEAL THAT RESULTED IN THE PRODUCT RELEASE. IN THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION, BUCKEYE DETERMINED THE SPILL COST EXCEEDED $50,000 AND NOTIFIED THE NRC ACCORDINGLY. THE COST EXCEEDANCE WAS NOT FORESEEABLE AND UNEXPECTED.
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.