PLAINS PIPELINE, L.P.

Incident Narrative

THIS RELEASE WAS DUE TO A THIRD PARTY HIT ON A PIPELINE THAT WAS SHUTDOWN AND IDLE WHEN IT WAS HIT. AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE (0900 MST), THE PRESSURE DROPPED SHARPLY FROM 910 PSIG TO 450 PSIG AND WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES STABILIZED AT APPROXIMATELY 320 PSIG AND WAS HOLDING STEADY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DROP. WHEN THE INITIAL PRESSURE DROP OCCURRED, THE SCADA SYSTEM DID PROVIDE TO THE CONTROLLER AN INDICATION OF A PRESSURE DEVIATION WHICH THE CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED ALONG WITH TWO OTHER INDICATIONS WHICH WERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITHIN THE COURSE OF ABOUT TWO MINUTES. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES OF THE INITIAL PRESSURE DROP, THE PARTY THAT STRUCK THE LINE CALLED ONE OF THE EMERGENCY LINES IN THE CONTROL CENTER TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. AT THIS TIME, THE PRESSURE IN THE LINE WAS STILL HOLDING AT 320 PSIG. UPON GETTING THIS REPORT, FIELD PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO THE INCIDENT SITE AND DRAIN DOWN OF THE LINE INTO THE SIDNEY, NE STATION BEGAN. THERE IS A DROP IN ELEVATION BETWEEN THE RELEASE SITE AND THE SIDNEY STATION. THE THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN THIS RELEASE WAS A FARMER PREPARING LAND TO BUILD TERRACES. WHILE SCRAPING GROUND FOR FILL DIRT, THE FARMER REALIZED THE GROUND WAS TOO HARD SO HE USED A CHISEL PLOW TO LOOSEN UP THE SOIL. ALTHOUGH PIPELINE MARKERS WERE IN PLACE AND VISIBLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RELEASE, THE FARMER DID NOT NOTIFY THE ONE-CALL CENTER PRIOR TO EXCAVATING, RESULTING IN THE PUNCTURE OF THE PIPELINE AND RELEASING 222 BARRELS OF DIESEL. APPROXIMATELY 700 CUBIC YARDS OF CONTAMINATED SOIL WAS HAULED OFF. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RELEASE, THE PIPE WAS REPLACED, WELDS RADIOGRAPHICALLY EXAMINED AND RECOATED PRIOR TO START UP. A TELEPHONIC NOTIFICATION WAS MADE TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT 1000 MST AND WAS ASSIGNED NRC REPORT NO. 1007005.