COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 AT 06:56 AN OPERATOR WITH THE LOCAL SHIPPER AT DULLES AIRPORT, NOTIFIED THE ALPHARETTA CONTROL CENTER THAT THEY OBSERVED PRODUCT SPRAYING FROM NEAR THE MANIFOLD AREA AT COLONIAL'S DULLES DELIVERY FACILITY. THE CONTROLLER IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND ISOLATED THE LINE. BOTH THE CONTROLLER AND THE LOCAL SHIPPER, CONTACTED THE COLONIAL LEAD OPERATOR TO ADVISE HIM OF THE SITUATION. THE LEAD OPERATOR REQUESTED THE SHIPPER TO NOTIFY THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORT AUTHORITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MADE NOTIFICATIONS TO THE NED ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT 07:05. UPON ARRIVAL AT 07:15, THE LEAD OPERATOR DISCOVERED A BROKEN FITTING ON THE MANIFOLD BACKPRESSURE VALVE. ALL PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED ON SITE. THE NED DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WAS NOTIFIED AT 07:33. DISTRICT RESPONSE PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTORS WERE MOBILIZED. A COURTESY NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT 08:35 DUE TO THE POTENTIAL OF EXCEEDING REPORTING THRESHOLDS. NRC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE AT 13:27 DUE TO ANTICIPATED EXCEEDANCE OF $50,000 THRESHOLD. OTHER COURTESY NOTIFICATIONS INCLUDED FAIRFAX COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE. THE PIPELINE FITTING WAS REPLACED AND LINE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS AT 13:09. 5/15/19 UPDATE: ALL SITE CLEAN UP AND RESTORATION COMPLETE, INCLUDING CORRECTIVE ACTION TO INSTALL PIPING SUPPORT BRACKET. 7/24/2019 UPDATE: THE FITTING WAS A 1/2-INCH STAINLESS STEEL PIPE NIPPLE THAT FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE IN THE PIPE WALL DUE TO AN UNSUPPORTED SPAN. NORMAL PIPELINE VIBRATION MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED - THERE WAS NO EFFECT FROM OUTSIDE FORCE THREATS. BASED ON THE FINDINGS FROM COLONIAL'S INCIDENT ANALYSIS, METALLURGICAL AND FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE FAILED FITTING WAS NOT REQUIRED.