COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON THE MORNING OF 3/4/2019, WHILE SKIMMING PRODUCT FROM THE STATION OIL WATER SEPARATOR (OWS) TO THE LINE 1 SUMP, AN OPERATOR DISCOVERED PRODUCT RELEASING OUT OF AN EXCAVATED 2 INCH PIPE NEAR THE OWS. THE OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY STOPPED SKIMMING AND NOTIFIED THE OM AT 06:36; LOCAL RESOURCES WERE MOBILIZED TO RESPOND. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RELEASE ORIGINATED FROM THE OPEN-ENDED 2 INCH PIPE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY EXCAVATED AS PART OF A FACILITY DEAD LEG REMOVAL PROJECT. FURTHER EXCAVATION DETERMINED THAT THE OPEN-ENDED 2 INCH PIPE WAS CONNECTED BY A T TO THE 3INCH PIPE RUNNING FROM THE FACILITY OWS DISCHARGE TO THE LINE 1 SUMP. THE OPEN END OF THE 2 INCH PIPE WAS THREADED AND CAPPED UNTIL IT CAN BE PERMANENTLY REMOVED. THE RELEASE WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEANED UP USING SORBENT PADS, GATHERING 6 GALLONS OF PRODUCT. NO NOTIFICATIONS WERE REQUIRED. SKIMMING OPERATIONS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE THE 2 INCH PIPE WAS EXCAVATED WITH NO INDICATION OF A LEAK. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PIPE MAY HAVE BEEN PACKED BY SOILS ETC. THAT KEPT THE PRODUCT FROM LEAKING PREVIOUSLY.