COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

DURING A STATION CHECK AT AMOCO JUNCTION, A SENIOR OPERATOR NOTICED A STAINED AREA AROUND THE EVACUATION PUMP THAT HAD SPREAD FROM THE BACK AT THE FENCELINE TO THE FRONT GATE. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF PETROLEUM SMELL ALONG WITH THE VISUAL OF THE STAINED AREA. UPON INVESTIGATING, THE SENIOR OPERATOR FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK TO BE A 3"" BALL VALVE BELOW THE SUCTION LINE OF THE EVACUATION PUMP. HE ISOLATED THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK FROM THE TANK BY CLOSING THE TANK VALVE. HE THEN CONTACTED THE OPERATIONS MANAGER WHO THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO CALL 911 AND KEEP THE AREA SAFE. FIRE, HAZMAT AND EMS ARRIVED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES ON THE SCENE TO CONDUCT AIR MONITORING AND PREVENT TRAFFIC FLOW AROUND THE FACILITY. AFTER THE SITE WAS DEEMED SAFE BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, TECHNICIANS ARRIVED TO REPAIR THE FLAWED VALVE. TECHNICIANS FOUND AN ""0""-RING INSIDE THE BALL VALVE THAT HAD SPLIT INTO TWO PIECES. ICE WAS FOUND INSIDE THE VALVE CAVITY AND PIPING. FREEZING WEATHER HAD BEEN IN THE AREA FOR THE PAST WEEK. THE FOLLOWING REMEDIAL ACTIVITIES WAS COMPLETED: RECOVERY BY PUMPING AND ABSORPTION OF APPROXIMATELY 188 GALLONS OF FREE PRODUCT AND ABSORBENTS, EXCAVATION AND OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OF APPROXIMATELY 77 TONS OF SOIL ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN AN ADDITIONAL 13 GALLONS OF PRODUCT, TOTAL FLUIDS PUMPING OF EXCAVATIONS AND ACCESS WELLS TO A FRAC TANK FOR OFF-SITE DISPOSAL OF APPROXIMATELY 9140 GALLONS OF WATER AND VACUUM TRUCK REMOVAL OF FREE PRODUCT BY PLAINS FROM THE EJECTOR LINE AND THE GROUND ALONG THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY. IN THE TWO MONTHS OF MONITORING SUBSEQUENT TO THE RELEASE, THERE HAS BEEN NO MEASURABLE PRODUCT IN SITE WELLS. PLAINS TERMINAL WAS ON SITE OFFERING THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH A VACUUM TRUCK AND REPORTED AN ESTIMATED VACUUM TRUCK RECOVERY OF 500 GALLONS.