COLONIAL PIPELINE CO

Incident Narrative

THE LEAD OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING A STATION CHECK ON 23 MARCH AT 2200 EDT AND DISCOVERED PRODUCT IN AN ACCESS WELL. THE ACCESS WELL CONTAINED A BLIND FLANGE THAT CONNECTED A PREVIOUSLY REMOVED PIPING SEGMENT ON THE LINE 2 INCOMING METER MANIFOLD. THE SYSTEM WAS NOT OPERATING AT THE TIME AND WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO OPERATE UNTIL LATER THE NEXT DAY. THE FREE STANDING PRODUCT WAS REMOVED FROM THE WELL. THE REMAINING WATER/PRODUCT MIXTURE WAS PUMPED TO A CONTAINMENT DRUM, THE ACCESS WELL WAS REMOVED, AND 2 TONS OF SOIL WAS EXCAVATED TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE FLANGE. THE FLANGE WAS TEMPORARILY REPAIRED BY TIGHTENING THE BOLTS. A PERMANENT REPAIR WILL BE MADE BY REPLACING THE BOLTS AND GASKETS AND ENSURING THE PROPER TORQUE IS APPLIED. THE CLEAN UP WAS COMPLETED WITHIN 12 HOURS OF DISCOVERING THE PRODUCT. 12 GALLONS OF FREE PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED AND .15 GALLON OF PRODUCT WAS RECOVERED WITH THE AFFECTED SOIL. THE SOIL WAS REMOVED AND DISPOSED OF PROPERLY. NO SURFACE OR GROUND WATER WAS AFFECTED AND THE RELEASE WAS CONTAINED IN AN AREA 130 FT FROM ANY SURFACE WATER. NO AGENCY NOTIFICATIONS WERE REQUIRED.