COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

HURRICANE HARVEY MADE LANDFALL ON 25 AUGUST 2017 AND REMAINED IN THE AREA CREATING UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF RAINFALL AND FLOODING. AS OF APPROX. 02:00 ON 8/30/17, POWER WAS LOST AT THE FACILITY AND THE FACILITY WAS EVACUATED MID-MORNING ON 8/30. FOLLOWING THE STORM AN AERIAL INSPECTION OF AFFECTED FACILITIES AND PIPELINE ROWS WAS CONDUCTED WHICH INDICATED A POSSIBLE SHEEN ON THE DIKE OF TANK 1437. CREWS WORKED TO REMOVE THE FLOOD WATERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FACILITY. AS THE FLOOD WATER RECEDED, CREWS WERE ABLE TO ASSESS DAMAGE, INCLUDING THE CONDITIONS OF THE TANK DIKES. ON 2 SEPTEMBER, MEMBERS OF ONE CREW WERE ABLE TO ACCESS TANK 1437 AND CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF SHEEN INSIDE THE DIKE. USING DIAPERS AND SORBENT BOOM, THE CREW COLLECTED ALL PRODUCT AND SHEEN. AN INSPECTION OF THE TANK ROOF AND DRAIN SYSTEM DID NOT REVEAL ANY ROOF DAMAGE. THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE IS SUSPECTED TO BE THE ROOF VENTS CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE FROM WATER ACCUMULATING ON THE TOP OF THE ROOF. ALL OF THE PRODUCT WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE FACILITY. AN INCIDENT ANALYSIS IS PLANNED FOR THIS EVENT. FINAL REPORT UPDATE: IA COMPLETED ON 1/24/2018. COMBINATION OF HIGH WIND AND WATER ACCUMULATION ON THE ROOF ADDED ENOUGH PRESSURE TO THE TOP OF THE ROOF TO CAUSE THE PRESSURE VACUUM VENT TO RELEASE PRODUCT.