BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

ON JANUARY 25TH 2017 AT ABOUT 13:00, WHILE DELIVERING JET FUEL LOCAL, OPERATION NOTICED THAT A DRAIN VALVE ON THE BOTTOM OF PUMP STRAINER WAS LEAKING. THE PIPELINE WAS SHUT DOWN. FIRST ESTIMATE OF VOLUME RELEASE WAS 2 GALLONS INTO THE PUMP CONTAINMENT PAD. THE FOLLOWING MORNING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PRODUCT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE PUMP CONTAINMENT. DUE TO WARM WEATHER AND RAIN THERE WERE PUDDLES OF WATER AROUND THE CONTAINMENT. THE OSRO BEGAN TO POTHOLE AND VACUUM UP A MIXTURE OF WATER AND PRODUCT THAT COLLECTED IN THE HOLES. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE OSRO GAUGED THEIR TRUCK AND NOTIFIED BUCKEYE THAT 48 GALLONS OF FUEL HAD BEEN COLLECTED. AT THIS TIME THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED. 40 YARDS OF IMPACTED STONE WAS REMOVED AND 63 GALLONS OF PRODUCT WAS COLLECTED. THE RELEASE WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM A THREADED CONNECTION ON THE BALL VALVE THAT WAS NOT TIGHT. THE PUMP CONTAINMENT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO NOT BE LIQUID TIGHT. 1/24/2018 INVESTIGATION OF THE RELEASE HAS DETERMINED THIS WAS A RESULT OF HUMAN ERROR AND INATTENTION TO TASK. THE BALL VALVE WAS NEEDED TO DRAIN PIPING FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THIS IS A 2 PIECE BODY THAT WAS TURNED WHEN MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE PLUG, THIS ACTION RESULTED IN THE LEAK AT THE BODY SEAL OF THE VALVE. PUMP CONTAINMENT SKID HAS BEEN SEALED AND VERIFIED TO HOLD LIQUID AND THE VALVE WAS REPLACED.