Federal regulators found last month's rupture occurred where the pipeline was worn away to a fraction of an inch
A pipeline rupture
that spilled an estimated 101,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa
Barbara last month occurred along a badly corroded section that had worn
away to a fraction of an inch in thickness, federal regulators
disclosed Wednesday.
The preliminary findings
(PDF) released by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) point to a possible cause of the May 19 spill
that blackened popular beaches and created a 9-mile slick in the Pacific
Ocean. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County due to the effects of the spill.
The PHMSA findings were released as tar balls washed ashore
and forced the closing of a four-mile stretch of beach about 100 miles
south in Long Beach. There is no indication that the balls are related
to the Santa Barbara spill or to the mysterious goo balls that closed Manhattan Beach for three days last week.
The agency said investigators found that there was "extensive
external corrosion" at the break site. It had degraded the pipe wall
thickness to 1/16 of an inch, and that there was a 6-inch opening near
the bottom of the pipe.
Additionally, the report noted that the area
that failed was close to three repairs that had been made to the
pipeline because of corrosion after 2012 inspections.
The agency documents said findings by metallurgists who examined the
pipe wall thickness at the break site conflicted with the results of
inspections conducted on that area of pipe on May 5 for operator Plains
All American Pipeline. Those inspections pinpointed a 45 percent loss of
wall thickness in the area of the pipe break, meaning they concluded
the pipe was in far better condition.
Government inspectors "noted general external corrosion of the pipe
body during field examination of the failed pipe segment," the report
said.
Investigators found "this thinning of the pipe wall is greater than
the 45 percent metal loss which was indicated" by the recent Plains All
American inspections.
The agency ordered the company to conduct additional research and
possible repairs on the line, which has been shut down indefinitely.
The findings indicate that over 80 percent of the metal pipe wall had
worn away over time because of corrosion, said Richard Kuprewicz,
president of Accufacts Inc., which investigates pipeline incidents.
"There is pipe that can survive 80 percent wall loss. When you're
over 80 percent, there isn't room for error at that level," said
Kuprewicz, who cautioned that it's still too soon to determine what
caused the pipe to fail.
The company said in a statement that it is committed to working with
federal investigators "to understand the differences between these
preliminary findings, to determine why the corrosion developed and to
determine the cause of the incident."
Plains All American said in a regulatory filing that there is no
timeline to restart the line, which runs along the coast north of Santa
Barbara. A company spokeswoman said there's no estimate yet of the cost
of cleanup, which involves nearly 1,200 people.
The agency also ordered restrictions on a second stretch of pipeline,
which the company had shut down May 19, restarted, then shut down again
on Saturday.
That second line had similar insulation and welds to the line that
spilled oil last month. It cannot be started until the company completes
a series of steps, including testing.
California's U.S. senators
issued a statement last week calling the response to the spill
“insufficient” and demanding the pipeline company explain what it did,
and when, after firefighters discovered the leak from the company's
underground 24-inch pipe.
Plains All American and its subsidiaries operate 17,800 miles of
crude oil and natural gas pipelines across the country, according to
federal regulators. The company has been cited for 10 oil spills that
violated the Clean Water Act and in 2010, Plains settled with the EPA
after agreeing to pay $3.2 million in civil penalties.
Earlier this week, Stace Cheverez, a commercial fisherman, sued Plains, alleging the environmental disaster would cause decades of harm to the shore and hurt many businesses.
The suit alleging negligence and liability under state and federal
laws does not specify damages but said they will exceed $5 million.
A Plains spokeswoman said the company does not comment on legal
matters, but it is addressing claims filed against it. Company officials
have apologized for the spill and defended its safety record.
Cheverez is seeking class-action status for fishermen and other
businesses losing income because of the May 19 spill that dumped at
least 101,000 gallons of oil, fouled beaches and killed at least 140
marine mammals and birds.
Source: AP
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May 22, 2015
PHMSA 02-15
Friday, May 22, 2015
Contact: Artealia Gilliard
Tel: 202-366-4831
Friday, May 22, 2015
Contact: Artealia Gilliard
Tel: 202-366-4831
U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Corrective Action Order
to Plains Pipeline, LP
Order Requires Operator Suspend Operations, Make Safety Improvements to Pipeline Involved in Coastal California Crude Oil Spill
WASHINGTON, DC
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today issued a
Corrective Action Order (CAO) to Plains Pipeline, LP, the operator
responsible for the pipeline failure on May 19 that resulted in the
release of crude. The CAO requires the company to suspend operations and
to make safety improvements on Line 901, the crude oil pipeline that
failed and released crude oil along California's coastline and into the
Pacific Ocean. The CAO also requires the operator to remove any
remaining crude oil from Line 901 and to submit a plan to PHMSA for
approval before resuming operation of the pipeline.
“PHMSA immediately deployed a team of inspectors to investigate the
cause of this pipeline release, and took steps to prevent additional
damage to the environment and the communities directly impacted by the
pipeline failure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The
Department will remain on the ground to make sure this operator is held
accountable for this failure and takes action to prevent a future
release.”
Following the Line 901 crude oil release, PHMSA deployed four
inspectors to the scene of the pipeline failure in Santa Barbara. A
fifth inspector was sent to the operator's control room in Midland,
Texas, to review operational information and data. The inspectors are
conducting investigations and assisting in oil spill response
activities. PHMSA will continue to monitor actions mandated in the CAO,
to ensure all factors involved in the release are identified and
remedied before the agency will allow Plains Pipeline to restart the
pipeline.
“PHMSA is requiring Plains Pipeline, LP to take a number of actions
to assess the current condition of the pipeline, identify the factors
that led to the crude oil release, and to address any potential future
risks to people or the environment,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tim
Butters.
In addition to the actions mentioned above, PHMSA is requiring Plains
Pipeline to review and evaluate the effectiveness of its emergency
response plan, including identifying areas for improvement, lessons
learned, and communicating and coordinating response and support
activities.
The Plains Pipeline, LP Line 901 is a 24-inch, 10.6 mile pipeline
that transports crude oil between Las Flores Canyon and Gaviota,
California. Plains Pipeline, LP is a subsidiary of Plains All American
Pipeline, LP. On May 19, 2015, the pipeline failed, releasing crude oil
along the north side of California's Pacific Coast Highway. The crude
oil entered a drainage culvert and eventually migrated into the Pacific
Ocean. The cause of the release has not yet been determined.
Click here to view a copy of the Corrective Action Order.