SUNOCO PIPELINE L.P.

hazardous_liquid Incident —

Incident Information

Report Date
OperatorSUNOCO PIPELINE L.P.
Commodity—
Pipeline Typehazardous_liquid

Location

State
Coordinates31.77339, -96.40109

Cause

CauseNATURAL FORCE DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage
Lost Commodity
Public/Private Damage
Emergency Response
Environmental Remediation
Other Costs

Location Map

Incident Narrative

FOLLOWING AN EXTREME WEATHER EVENT OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NIGHT OF 5/11/15 AND THE MORNING OF 5/12/15 OPERATING PERSONNEL PERFORMED A STATION CHECK AT WORTHAM. THE WEATHER EVENT HAD CAUSED A POWER FAILURE AT THE STATION. TANK DIKES WERE OPENED TO RELEASE ACCUMULATED RAINWATER AND TANKS WERE CHECKED. AFTER ASCENDING TANK 2013 TO INSPECT THE FLOATING ROOF, PERSONNEL NOTICED THAT THE VAREC GAUGE HATCH HAD FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM IT. PERSONNEL DESCENDED THE TANK AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT. THE TANK WAS ISOLATED. THREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, MEXIA FIRE DEPARTMENT, WORTHAM VFD AND KERVIN VFD RESPONDED AND THE TEXAS HIGHWAY PATROL CLOSED FM 27 ROADWAY UNTIL THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE MEXIA FIRE DEPARTMENT TOOK THE LEAD IN THE RESPONSE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE WORTHAM VFD AND THE KERVIN VFD WHO ASCENDED THE TANK AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THIS EVENT WAS DISCOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 09:14 ON 5/12/15 AND REPORTED TO THE NRC (1116270) AT 10:14 ON 5/12/2015. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FIRE BEING EXTINGUISHED THE TANK REMAINED OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL A SEAL GAP INSPECTION BY A LICENSED 653 INSPECTOR WAS CONDUCTED ON 5/13/15. THE INSPECTION INDICATED NO DAMAGE TO THE SEAL. THE FLOAT WELL SEAL WAS REPLACED, THE GAUGE POLE SEAL AND ROLLER REPLACED AND A NEW GROUNDING CABLE WAS INSTALLED AND ATTACHED FROM THE FLOATING ROOF TO THE TANK SHELL. ALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON 5/15/2015 AND THE TANK WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.

About This Pipeline Incident

Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.

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