DOUBLE H

Incident Narrative

ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 20, 2019 AN ON-SITE OPERATOR EMPLOYEE NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM A VALVE WITHIN THE IN-STATION PIPING OF THE BAKER PUMP STATION. THE SMALL VALVE BODY RELIEF VALVE (A MINIATURE SPRING LOADED CHECK VALVE DESIGNED TO RELIEVE PRESSURE FROM A VALVE BODY'S CASING AT A PRESET PRESSURE AND COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A 'POPPER VALVE') HAD FAILED AND WAS THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. THE CONTROL CENTER WAS CONTACTED AND THE LINE WAS SHUT DOWN WITHIN 2 MINUTES. APPROXIMATELY 19 GALLONS OF PRODUCT WAS RELEASED TO THE AREA AROUND THE VALVE WHICH WAS ALSO COVERED IN ABOUT 1 FOOT OF SNOW. AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE CONTRACTOR WAS CALLED AND BROUGHT ON SITE THAT DAY. DUE TO LOW TEMPERATURES THE CLEAN-UP PROCESS TOOK 2 DAYS LONGER THAN INITIALLY ESTIMATED. THE NRC REPORT WAS GIVEN WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CLEAN-UP COSTS WOULD EXCEED THE $50,000 REPORTING CRITERIA. AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE POPPER VALVE CONCLUDED THE INTERNAL SPRING FAILED. UPDATE: THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE COMPONENT THAT FAILED, WHICH WAS INSTALLED BY THE PIPELINE'S PREVIOUS OWNER DURING CONSTRUCTION, WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR ITS INTENDED USE. THE FAILED COMPONENT WAS REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT COMPONENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE PIPELINE'S CURRENT USE. THE COST OF REPAIRS REFLECT THE COST TO SAFELY RESTORE THE PIPELINE TO A PRE-ACCIDENT LEVEL OF SERVICE, PER THIS FORMS INSTRUCTIONS, AND NOT THE COSTS ACTUALLY INCURRED BY REPLACING THE FAILED COMPONENT WITH A MORE APPROPRIATE COMPONENT.