BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

hazardous_liquid Incident —

Incident Information

Report Date
OperatorBUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP
Commodity—
Pipeline Typehazardous_liquid

Location

State
Coordinates40.51438, -75.53257

Cause

CauseINCORRECT OPERATION
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities0
Injuries0

Costs

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

Location Map

Incident Narrative

A SAFE FILL AND INDEPENDENT TANK HI-HI ALARM WERE RECEIVED FOR TANK 228 AT 05:52 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF 6/17/2012 AT BUCKEYE'S MACUNGIE, PA TANK FARM. PRODUCT FLOW TO THE TANK WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. VOLUME LEVELS AND CALCULATIONS INDICATED THE TANK TO BE AT SAFE-FILL HEIGHT SO THE TANK WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY INSPECTED. AT 11:00 A.M. ON 6/17/2012 AN ODOR COMPLAINT FROM A NEIGHBOR WAS RECEIVED BY THE BREINIGSVILLE CONTROL CENTER. THE BREINIGSVILLE CONTROL CENTER SHUT DOWN THE INBOUND PIPELINE AND CONTACTED MACUNGIE OPERATIONS. MACUNGIE OPERATIONS PERFORMED A FACILITY CHECK AND REPORTED NO PRODUCT ODOR OR SOIL STAINING WAS FOUND. THE INBOUND PIPELINE WAS RESTARTED AND NORMAL OPERATIONS RESUMED. AT 09:00 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF 6/18/2012 A MACUNGIE PIPELINER WAS PREPARING MACUNGIE TANK 228 FOR AN OUTBOUND PRODUCT MOVEMENT. HE SMELLED GASOLINE AT THE BASE OF THE TANK AND NOTICED FREE PRODUCT IN THE TANK SHELL VALVE PIT. THE MACUNGIE PIPELINER THEN CALLED MACUNGIE STATION TO REPORT A POTENTIAL RELEASE. WHEN ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SITE, PRODUCT STAINING WAS NOTICED AT THE TANK VENTS. EMERGENCY RESPONSE WAS BEGUN AND INTERNAL NOTIFICATIONS WERE PERFORMED. THE NRC WAS NOTIFIED AT 14:18 P.M. AFTER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE COSTS MAY REACH THE REPORTING CRITERIA. THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS STILL IN PROGRESS. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST MECHANICAL FAILURE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT WILL BE FILED UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATION. REMEDIATION AND REPAIRS ARE ONGOING. ------------------------------------------------------------ UPDATE: 8/24/2012 THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT TANK 228'S GAUGE SYSTEM WAS READING APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES LOWER THAN THE ACTUAL LEVEL IN THE TANK. ADDITIONALLY, THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE INDEPENDENT HI-HI MAGNETROL ALARM LEVEL WAS 7 INCHES TOO HIGH. AS A RESULT, THE TANK GAUGE WAS SHOWING THE TANK LEVEL TO BE AT MAX SAFE FILL AT THE SAME TIME THE HI-HI ALARM WAS RECEIVED AND THE TANK WAS IN AN OVERFILL CONDITION. THE TANK GAUGE LEVEL AND ALARM LEVELS FOR TANK 228 WERE RECALCULATED AND ADJUSTED TO THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS. ALL OTHER TANKS AT THE MACUNGIE TANK FARM WERE ALSO CHECKED TO ENSURE GAUGE AND ALARM LEVEL ACCURACY. THE TANK HAS BEEN PUT BACK IN SERVICE. MONITORING WELLS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE TANK DIKE. NO OTHER REMEDIATION ACTIVITIES ARE PLANNED. *SUPPLEMENTAL ANSWERED PART E 5F

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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