KIANTONE PIPELINE CORP

Incident Narrative

DURING MORNING ROUNDS ON JANUARY 14, 2010, PART-TIME OPERATORS AT KIANTONE PIPELINE'S GOWANDA BOOSTER STATION NOTED A SMALL AMOUNT (<1 QUART) OF OIL ON THE SIDE OF A SECONDARY CONTAINMENT COLUMN THAT HOUSES A BURIED SUCTION VALVE FOR #7 BOOSTER PUMP. THE COLUMN IS HARD PIPED TO THE STATION SUMP AND IS DESIGNED TO CONTAIN ANY RELEASED PRODUCT IF THE VALVE SEAL FAILS. PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED SUPERVISORS WHO PROMPTLY RESPONDED AND DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE SEAL HAD FAILED. OPERATING PRESSURE AT THE VALVE WAS REDUCED AND A VACUUM TRUCK WAS CALLED TO EVACUATE THE PRODUCT FROM THE VALVE COLUMN. A VALVE CONTRACTOR WAS ALSO CONTACTED TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR OF THE VALVE SEAL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED ADDITIONAL PRODUCT (1 GALLON) HAD STAINED THE SIDE OF #7 PUMP BASE. THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL LATER DUE TO THE LARGE SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE PUMP SINCE THE PUMP HAD NOT BEEN OPERATING AND THEREFORE DID NOT MELT THE SNOW. PERSONNEL REMOVED THE SNOW AND EXCAVATED AROUND THE PUMP BASE AND VALVE COLUMN. EXCAVATION REVEALED THE >5 GALLONS OF PRODUCT HAD BEEN RELEASED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. NYS DEC JOHN OTTO WAS CONTACTED (SPILL # 0911101) AND THEN NRC (REPORT# 928594) PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE RELEASE TO THE ENVIRONMENT WAS AN ICE JAM IN THE COMMON DRAIN LINE FROM THE VALVE COLUMN AND THE PUMP CATCH BASIN. THE VALVE COLUMN HAD CONTAINED THE SEAL FAILURE AS DESIGNED, HOWEVER THE CONTAINED PRODUCT WAS UNABLE TO DISCHARGE INTO THE SUMP DUE TO THE ICE AND OVERFLOWED THE COLUMN AND PUMP BASE, WHICH ARE AT AN EQUAL LEVEL. KIANTONE PERSONNEL CLEARED THE ICE AND DRAINED THE SYSTEM TO THE SUMP. KIANTONE PERSONNEL ARE EVALUATING POTENTIAL MEASURES THAT CAN PREVENT REOCCURRENCE OF THE ICE JAM.