KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC

Incident Narrative

APPROXIMATELY 12 GALLONS OF GASOLINE LEAKED FROM THE 16' NTF IN-STATION LINE OUTSIDE OF A DRIP PAN AND ONTO EARTHEN SECONDARY CONTAINMENT WHEN WORKING ON REMOVING A LOW POINT DRAIN ON THE LINE TO MITIGATE LOW POINT DRAIN FAILURE DURING WINTER TEMPERATURES. THE FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATION SHOW THAT THE CONTROL VALVE ON THE 2' LOW POINT DRAIN THAT WAS TO BE REMOVED FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY. IN PREPARATION FOR DRAINING DOWN THE LINE SEGMENT THE CONTRACTOR APPLIED VACUUM VIA VACUUM TRUCK AT THE LOW POINT DRAIN BEING REMOVED, THEN AT ANOTHER LOW POINT DRAIN ON THE LINE, THEN A FINAL TIME ON THE DRAIN TO BE REMOVED AGAIN. THEY ALSO HAD SPILL CLEAN-UP EQUIPMENT ON HAND AND A DRIP PAN BELOW THE DRAIN. EVEN WITH ALL THESE MEASURES A SLUG WAS APPARENTLY CAUGHT IN THE VALVE THAT GAVE THE INDICATION OF THE LINE BEING EMPTY. WHEN THE LOW POINT DRAIN WAS BEING UNTHREADED THE PLUG GAVE WAY AND RELEASED PRODUCT INTO AND AROUND THE DRIP PAN BELOW. IN ORDER TO PREVENT MORE LOSS OF PRODUCT THE CONTRACTOR USED A PIPE WRENCH ON THE BROKEN VALVE TO FORCE THE VALVE CLOSED. THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE VALVE THAT FAILED TO CLOSE ALLOWED FOR ADDITIONAL PRODUCT TO FLOW OUT OF THE LINE AND SPILL INTO THE SECONDARY CONTAINMENT. REMEDIATION IS COMPLETE. AS A LESSON LEARNED THE TERMINAL IS NOW REQUIRING A NEW CONTROL VALVES TO BE INSTALLED DOWNSTREAM OF THE VALVE TO BE REMOVED. THIS NEW VALVE WILL OPERATE PROPERLY AND ALLOW FOR AN OPERATOR OR CONTRACTOR TO POSITIVELY CONTROL PRODUCT FLOW IN THE EVENT THAT THE VALVE BEING REMOVED FAILS. ALSO, THE TERMINAL IS REQUIRING VACUUM BE ON THE LINE FROM ANOTHER LOCATION DURING THE PERIOD THAT THE VALVE TO BE REPLACED/REMOVED IS BEING MECHANICALLY REMOVED. THE TERMINAL RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED THESE LESSONS LEARNED ON A DIFFERENT LOW POINT DRAIN AND THE OPERATION WAS COMPLETED AS PLANNED AND WITHOUT INCIDENT.