COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

A CALL WAS PLACED ON 7/2/17 @ 07:55 FROM THE SYSTEM 3/6 CONTROLLER TO THE DORSEY OPERATOR TO ADVICE THE OPERATOR OF A HIGH STATION SUMP ALARM AT FAIRFAX DELIVERY. THE DORSEY OPERATOR CALLED THE FAIRFAX LEAD OPERATOR @ 07:56 EST TO ADVISE HIM OF THE ALARM AT FAIRFAX DELIVERY. THE FAIRFAX LEAD OPERATOR CONTACTED A FAIRFAX SENIOR OPERATOR 07:58 EST TO ADVISE OF HIM OF THE ALARM AND DISPATCH THE OPERATOR TO THE STATION TO INVESTIGATE THE ALARM. THE SENIOR OPERATOR ARRIVED AT FAIRFAX DELIVERY AT 08:47 AND OBSERVED PRODUCT HAD OVERFLOWED FROM THE SUMP ONTO THE GROUND. THE SENIOR OPERATOR DIVERTED THE FLOW FROM THE SUMP TO THE RELIEF TANK TO STOP OVERFLOW OF THE SUMP. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00, THE CONTRACT CLEANUP CREW ARRIVED TO BEGIN CLEANUP OF THE RELEASE. A TEMPORARY REPAIR IS IN PLACE, THE LEVEL OF THE MAX FILL SUMP ALARM WAS LOWERED UNTIL PERMANENT REPAIRS CAN BE MADE. AT 10:45, NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE VDEQ AND AT 11:45 THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE EVENT AND TO INFORM THEM THAT THE ESTIMATED RESPONSE COST WILL EXCEED THE $50,000 THRESHOLD. IA#: INC-2017-000000600 UPDATE 12/19/2017: THE INCIDENT ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF THE RELEASE WERE FAILURE TO FOLLOW MAINTENANCE PRACTICES (RELATING TO VALVES KNOWN TO BE BYPASSING PRODUCT NOT BEING SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT), FAILURE TO FOLLOW OPERATING POLICY (RELATING TO FAILURE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT MANIFOLD PROTECTION HIERARCHY), FAILURE TO CHECK/MONITOR (RELATING TO FAILURE TO IDENTIFY ALARM AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS), FAILURE OF ALARM, AND DELAY IN REPAIRING ALARM. MITIGATION WORK COMPLETED INCLUDES REPLACING MOTOR AND TAP FOR ALARMS, REPLACING VALVE INTERNAL GATE AND SEATS, AND REPLACING THERMAL RELIEF VALVES. UPDATE 2/16/18 THE INCIDENT TIME AND COSTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED. IN ADDITION, COLONIAL RE-VISITED THE ""APPARENT CAUSE"" OF THE INCIDENT. COLONIAL'S IA TEAM CONFIRMED ITS EARLIER CONCLUSION THAT THE MOST APPLICABLE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS ""OTHER ACCIDENT CAUSE"" (G8), EVEN THOUGH SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ""INCORRECT OPERATION"" (G7) WERE PRESENT. UPDATE 03/12/2018 UPON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE IA WITH THE LEAD INVESTIGATOR, THE APPARENT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN CHANGED TO INCORRECT OPERATION. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL/FINAL REPORT REFLECTS THIS CHANGE (SEE SECTION G7- INCORRECT OPERATION).