WEST COAST TERMINAL PIPELINE (WCTP)

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 ON 11/30/18 DURING A FACILITY INSPECTION, A STAIN WAS DISCOVERED AT THE EDGE OF GASOLINE TANK 80002, ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED TO BE 1.7 GALLONS. THE STAINED SOIL WAS CLEANED UP. AT 1530, CONTINUED INVESTIGATION FOUND ELEVATED LEL READINGS IN THE SOIL AT THE EDGE OF THE TANK. THREATENED RELEASE NOTIFICATIONS (CA OES AND NRC AMONG THEM) WERE MADE AND FURTHER RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATIVE MEASURES (EMPTYING TANK, GAS-FREE, TESTING) WERE EMPLOYED. ON 12/11/18, A SMALL CRACK IN THE WELD OF THE TANK'S WATER DRAW SUMP WAS DISCOVERED. TELEPHONIC RELEASE NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE (CAL OES #18-8154 @1237 AND NRC #1232664 @ 1242 AS THE ESTIMATED PROPERTY DAMAGE EXCEEDED THE $50,000 THRESHOLD. NO FURTHER GASOLINE WAS RELEASED. THIS TYPE OF DRAIN-DRY TANK ALLOWS FLEXING OF THE TANK BOTTOM AT THE DRAIN DRY SUMP LOCATION. RECENT HEAVY RAINS CAUSED SOIL COMPACTION IN THIS AREA ALLOWING ADDED STRESS ON THE FLOOR PLATE WELDS CAUSING A CRACK, APPROXIMATELY 1/8 IN DIAMETER AND 3-FT LONG. NOTE: PART A, #6 THERE WERE THREE NRC NOTIFICATIONS MADE. THE FIRST (#1231759) NOTIFIED OF A THREATENED RELEASE, THE SECOND (#1232664) CONFIRMING THE PROBABILITY THAT THE $50,000 REPORTING THRESHOLD WOULD BE EXCEEDED AND THE THIRD (#1232845) WAS THE PHMSA-REQUIRED 48 HOUR FOLLOW-UP NOTIFICATION. NOTE: PART A, #14 WHILE THIS TANK WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE, PIPELINE AND OTHER FACILITY OPERATIONS WERE NOT AFFECTED.