COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

AT 14:49 LOCAL TIME, ON DECEMBER 10, 2014, THE COOLING TOWER AT COLONIAL'S ATLANTA JUNCTION FACILITY WAS STARTED TO CIRCULATE RUST INHIBITOR THOUGH THE HEAT EXCHANGERS AND ASSOCIATED PIPING. GASOLINE ODORS WERE DETECTED BY AN EMPLOYEE WITHIN 2 MINUTES. THE COOLING TOWER SYSTEM WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUTDOWN BY OPERATIONS AND ISOLATED FROM THE MAIN LINE TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER RELEASE OF PRODUCT. THE COOLING TOWER WATER PUMPS AND HEAT EXCHANGERS WERE ISOLATED AND LOCKED OUT. THE COOLING TOWER BASIN WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED OUT TO PREVENT ANY WATER FROM ENTERING THE FACILITY RETENTION POND. THE SOURCE OF THE RELEASE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND REPAIRS WILL BE MADE WHEN THE CAUSE IS DETERMINED. ALL PRODUCT RELEASED WAS CONTAINED WITHIN THE COOLING TOWER WATER BASIN. NRC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE AS SOON AS TOTAL ESTIMATED PROPERTY DAMAGE COSTS WERE EXPECTED TO EXCEED THE REPORTING THRESHOLD. FOLLOWING THE NRC NOTIFICATION, COURTESY NOTIFICATIONS WERE ALSO MADE TO GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, GEORGIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND PHMSA. A TOTAL OF 950 GALLONS WAS RELEASED TO THE COOLING TOWER BASIN. A CALCULATED AMOUNT OF 867 GALLONS EVAPORATED AND 83 GALLONS WERE RECOVERED USING DRUM SKIMMERS AND VACUUM TRUCKS. THE RECOVERED WATER AND PRODUCT WAS TRANSFERRED TO TANKAGE AND WILL BE TREATED ON SITE. ALL PRODUCT IN THE COOLING TOWER BASIN WAS RECOVERED BY 15:00 ON DECEMBER 11, 2014. UPDATE 9/9/2015 METALLURGICAL AND WATER ANALYSIS WAS RECEIVED AND INCIDENT ANALYSIS COMPLETED. TWO FAILED TUBES WERE REMOVED AND TESTED BY INDEPENDENT LAB. THE THIRD TUBE THAT FAILED WAS PLUGGED. ALL TUBES WERE INSPECTED BY EDDY CURRENT TESTING AND ALL TUBES WITH GREATER THAN 60% WALL LOSS WERE PLUGGED. HEAT EXCHANGERS AND COOLING TOWER WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE.