COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON OCTOBER 11TH AT APPROXIMATELY 17:30, A PROJECT INSPECTOR WAS INSPECTING A COMPACT EXPANDING GATE VALVE (CEG) THAT WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED ON THE LINE 01 RELIEF SYSTEM AT ATLANTA JUNCTION. THE CEG VALVE HAD BEEN PURCHASED IN 2018 AND INSTALLED ON OCTOBER 9TH AS PART OF A DUAL LINE RELIEF PROJECT. THE INSPECTOR NOTICED AN ODOR COMING FROM THE AREA AND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE AREA SAW GASOLINE SEEPING OUT OF THE 1/2"" NEEDLE VENT VALVE LOCATED ON TOP OF THE BONNET OF THE VALVE AND PART OF THE BLOCK AND BLEED AUXILIARY TUBING. THE 1/2"" VENT VALVE WAS NOT FULLY CLOSED SO THE INSPECTOR TIGHTENED THE HEX NUT ON THE END OF THE NEEDLE VALVE 1/4 TURN WHICH STOPPED THE FLOW OF PRODUCT COMING FROM THE SMALL VENT PORT. THE PORT ON THE VENT VALVE WAS ALSO PLUGGED AS A PERMANENT REPAIR. THIS TYPE OF VALVE IS CLOSED WITH A THREADED HEX HEAD PLUG NOT A HANDLE. THE PROJECT INSPECTOR NOTIFIED THE PROJECT MANAGER WHO NOTIFIED THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AT 17:39 ON OCTOBER 11, 2018. THIS VALVE IS ATTACHED TO TANK 339'S TANK LINE WHICH WAS EMPTY ON OCTOBER 9TH WHEN THE CEG WAS INSTALLED. HOWEVER THE LINE WAS FILLED WITH PRODUCT ON OCTOBER 11TH WHEN LOCAL OPERATIONS TRANSFERRED PRODUCT FROM THE GASOLINE SUMP INTO THE TANK LINE. THERE WAS STANDING WATER IN THE AREA FROM TROPICAL STORM MICHAEL WHICH HAD FLOODED THE MAINFOLD AREA WITH APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES OF WATER. THE PRODUCT THAT WAS RELEASED WAS CONTAINED ON THE STANDING WATER AND RECOVERED USING SORBENT PADS. ALL PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED BY 19:00 ON OCTOBER 11TH. A 16.8 GALLON SPILL VOLUME WAS CALCULATED FROM THE NUMBER OF SORBENTS USED TO COLLECT FREE PRODUCT. NO NRC, LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL AGENCIES WERE REQUIRED TO BE NOTIFIED DUE TO NOT MEETING ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO NOTIFY THOSE AGENCIES. SUPPLEMENT 12/11/18 THIS SUPPLEMENT CHANGES THE CAUSE FROM ""OTHER"" TO ""EQUIPMENT FAILURE"" DUE TO A REQUEST FROM PHMSA.