EXPRESS HOLDINGS (USA), LLC

Incident Narrative

ON NOVEMBER 30, 2018 AT 12:34 AM CST THE EDMONTON CONTROL CENTER (ECC) WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RESTARTING LINE 41 AFTER AN UNRELATED SHUTDOWN WHEN IT RECEIVED A HIGH-HIGH SUMP ALARM AT THE HIAWATHA STATION. LINE 41 WAS SHUT DOWN AND ISOLATED AS A PRECAUTION. THE ECC NOTIFIED THE ON-CALL OPERATIONS TECHNICIAN TO INVESTIGATE THE SUMP AT HIAWATHA STATION. THE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ONSITE AT 1:05 AM CST AND DISCOVERED APPROXIMATELY 10 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL ON THE GROUND. INITIAL OBSERVATIONS CONFIRMED THAT THE RELEASE POINT WAS AN OVERFLOW OF THE SUMP. OPERATIONS PERSONNEL FROM PLATTE, ALONG WITH PERSONNEL FROM KEY WERE DISPATCHED IMMEDIATELY. SPILL CONTRACTORS WERE REQUESTED TO ASSIST WITH THE CLEAN-UP. THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 3:15 AM CST ON NOVEMBER 30, 2018 (NRC#1231673) WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT COSTS COULD EXCEED THE $50,000 THRESHOLD DUE TO THE VOLUME OUT AND COST OF CLEAN-UP. THE 48 HOUR UPDATE TO THE NRC WAS MADE AT 6:32 PM CST ON DECEMBER 1, 2018 (NRC#1231818). UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A DRAIN VALVE ON THE SUCTION SIDE OF A PUMP UNIT THAT WAS PARTIALLY OPEN WHICH LED TO THE SUMP OVERFLOW. THE ECC DID NOT DETECT AN ISSUE UNTIL THE SUMP HIGH-HIGH ALARM WAS SIGNALED. THE EVIDENCE IS INCONCLUSIVE ON EXACTLY WHEN AND HOW THE VALVE WAS PARTIALLY OPENED. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THE VALVE BECAME PARTIALLY OPENED SOMETIME DURING THE UNRELATED SHUTDOWN AND WENT UNNOTICED UNTIL THE ECC BEGAN TO RESTART LINE 41. APPROXIMATELY 467 TONS OF CONTAMINATED SOIL HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISPOSED OF AT AN APPROVED LANDFILL. NO PRODUCT WAS RETURNED TO THE SYSTEM AND WAS RECOVERED AS PART OF THE CONTAMINATED SOIL. THE HIGH COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RELEASE WERE DUE TO POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS (RAIN AND SNOW) WHICH CREATED ADDITIONAL MATERIALS THAT HAD TO BE PUT INTO ROLL OFF CONTAINERS ALONG WITH HYDROVAC EXCAVATION WITHIN THE STATION THAT ALSO ADDED ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR ROLL OFFS. THIS ALSO INCLUDED SAMPLING OF ALL THE CONTAINERS PRIOR TO HAULING THE MATERIAL OFF SITE. IN ADDITION, MORE SOIL WAS EXCAVATED THAN NORMAL. THE HIGH VOLUME OF HYDROVAC SLURRY REQUIRED SEVERAL SLURRY PITS AND THEN HANDLING THE SLURRY.