COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

DURING A RECORD-SETTING RAINFALL EVENT IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA, APPROX. 9.88 INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECEIVED IN A ~10-HOUR PERIOD ON 8/13/2016, FLOODING THE CHURCH POINT STATION YARD. AT 07:49 ON 8/13/2016, A MAX FILL ALARM WAS RECEIVED BY THE ALPHARETTA CONTROL CENTER ON THE STATION 2 SUMP AT CHURCH POINT STATION AND THE STATION WAS SHUT DOWN AND ISOLATED. A COLONIAL CONTRACT TECHNICIAN WAS DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE AND ARRIVED ON SITE AT APPROX. 08:40. THE CONTRACTOR OBSERVED THAT THE STATION 2 SUMP WAS FLOODED, BUT OBSERVED NO EVIDENCE OF PRODUCT IN THE STATION YARD OR THE SURROUNDING AREA. DUE TO CONTINUED HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE RISK OF BEING TRAPPED AT THE STATION, THE CONTRACT TECHNICIAN LEFT THE STATION AT 11:15, AND PLANS WERE MADE TO RETURN ONCE WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS IMPROVED TO THE POINT IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT CHURCH POINT STATION AT 07:46 ON 8/14/2016. IT WAS DURING STATION ASSESSMENT ON 8/14/2016, THAT THE EVIDENCE OF A PRODUCT RELEASE WAS DISCOVERED AND CONFIRMED. AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 A CONTRACT TECHNICIAN WAS HELPING TO REMOVE RAINWATER FROM THE PUMP STATION YARD. DIESEL FUEL WAS OBSERVED NEAR THE SUMP AND OIL WATER SEPARATOR ON THE GRAVEL NEXT TO THE CONCRETE LEVEE SURROUNDING THE FACILITY. INTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE MADE AS REQUIRED BY 14:40. THE RELEASED PRODUCT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE STATION SUMP FLOODING THE PREVIOUS DAY AND WAS PROMPTLY CLEANED UP. NO OTHER FEDERAL OR STATE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS WERE MET, THEREFORE THIS SPILL WAS NOT REPORTED TO ANY OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES. A CORRECTIVE ACTION TO INSTALL SUMP ACCESS EXTENSIONS WAS COMPLETED ON 10 NOVEMBER 2016.