COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

ON 4/11/2017 AROUND 10:00, A SENIOR OPERATOR PERFORMED A STATION CHECK AT JAMES RIVER STATION AND DISCOVERED STAINED AND DISCOLORED SURFACE GRAVEL AROUND THE NITROGEN RACK. AT THAT TIME, HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE DISCOLORATION. HE PLACED ABSORBENT PADS AROUND AND UNDERNEATH THE ROCKS THEN CONTACTED THE OM. TECHNICIANS WERE DISPATCHED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE. THE OIL WATER SEPARATOR (OWS) WAS CHECKED FOR SIGNS OF PRODUCT AND NONE WAS FOUND TO BE IN THERE. ABSORBENTS WERE PLACED INSIDE OWS TO ENSURE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS DID NOT GET OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY. A ONE CALL TICKET WAS PLACED. ON 4/13/17, TECHNICIANS DID SOME ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION AROUND THE STAINED AREA. AFTER THE ONE CALL TICKET CLEARED ON 4/14/17, CONTRACTORS EXCAVATED SURROUNDING AREA AND FOUND THE TOP OF THE CHECK VALVE FOR UNIT TWO HAD A WET SPOT AROUND ONE OF THE BOLTS. DIGGING CONTINUED TO EXPOSE SURROUNDING AREA AND UNDERNEATH THE CHECK VALVE. TECHNICIANS TRIED TO TIGHTEN THE LID OF THE CHECK VALVE IN HOPES OF STOPPING THE WEEP. THEIR ATTEMPT FAILED TO STOP THE WEEP SO PLANS WERE MADE TO DRAIN UP THE STATION LOOP TO REPAIR THE VALVE. ON 4/17/17, TECHNICIANS EVACUATED THE LOOP AND REMOVED THE LID TO THE CHECK VALVE AND FOUND ONE OF THE O-RINGS HAD DETERIORATED AROUND THE BOLT. THE O-RINGS WERE REPLACED AND ADDITIONAL VALVE LUBRICATION WAS PERFORMED. THE CHECK VALVE LID WAS RESEALED BUT NOT BACK FILLED. ABOUT 10 TONS OF SOIL WERE REMOVED FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA AND TAKEN TO RECO BIOTECHNOLOGY OF RICHMOND, VA FOR PROCESSING. THE ESTIMATED TOTAL RELEASED FROM THE CHECK VALVE IN ABSORBENTS AND SOIL IS ABOUT 6.5 GALLONS. NO LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL AGENCIES NOTIFICATION WERE MADE REGARDING THIS EVENT. AS OF 4/19/17 THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF ANY WEEP FROM THE REPAIRED CHECK VALVE LID.