# KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC — Hazardous liquid — incident on 2010-01-10 **Citation:** PHMSA Report 20100261 **Type / status:** incident / historical **Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration **Effective:** 2010-01-10 **Published:** 2010-11-24 Hazardous liquid incident in TX. Reported cause: EQUIPMENT FAILURE. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, 0.4 REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID AT AMBIENT CONDITIONS released, $0 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. PHMSA trend classification: not significant, not serious. ## Document text Hazardous liquid incident in TX. Reported cause: EQUIPMENT FAILURE. Reported consequences: 0 fatalities, 0 injuries, 0.4 REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID AT AMBIENT CONDITIONS released, $0 reported property damage. Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings. Report number: 20100261. Operator ID: 26041. Reported incident date: 1/10/2010 19:46. Cause detail: OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE Cause detail: THE TIMELINE OF THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE 4 BBL SPILL OF ULSD FROM THE COLONIAL PIPELINE / SULGE DRUM IS AS FOLLOWS. L- 1/8 /10 - MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEE EERFORMS PM ON THE GLOVE FLE X -FLOW PIPELINE SURSE EROTECTION RELIEF VAL VE (GROVE RV) I .E" EMPLOYEE WEEKLY CONFIRMS THAT THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE GROVE LTV IS 90 PSI 01 GREATER. NOTE. THE 1'12 SYSTEM PROVIDES OVERPLESSURE SURGE PROTECTION FOR 12RESSURE TRANSIENTS THAT OCCUR DURING LINE-UE / TRANSFE R C HANSES TO THE COLONIAL E I !2ELINE. 2. 1/8/ 10 - MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OBSERVES AND RECORDS THE N2 PRESSURE WAS LESS THAN 90 PSI AND DID NOT REPORT TLIE LOW PFESSULE MZ PLESSURE TO THEIL SUPEI VISO! 01 TAKE MEASURES TO INCREASE N2 BACK !2RESSURE EER SITE !2ROCEDURE 3. 1/8/10 - THE EVENING OF 1/ 8 THROUGH 1/10 WAS A COLD WEATHER PERIOD F OR THE EASTERN GULF COAST OF TEXAS; CELTTPELACULES DROPPED INTO THE 20L"S. 4 . 1L10L10 @ A!2!2ROXIMATELY 1830 HOURS KM TERMINAL EERFORMED LINE-UE CHANGE FROM PIT 5 TO PIT 9 FOR OUT BOUND ULSD PRODUCT SWITCH. NOTE: PIT 9 HAS HIGHER OUT BOUND TRANSFER PRESSURE CAPACITY COMPARED WITH ~1T S . 5. 1L1OLLO - BOARD ALARM IS SOUNDED IN THE CONTROL FOR HIGH LEVEL IN THE COLONIAL SURGE DRUM. OPERATIONS SENDS A FIELD OPERATOR TO INVESTIGATE. 6. 1710/10 - 1838 HOMS OPETATOT OBSEIVED OVERRLOWING OF PTODUCT OIL SURGE DTUM AND ORDETS TLIE TRANSFER TO THE COLONIAL EIEELINE SHUTDOWN AND INVESTIGATE WHY THE SURGE DRUM IS RELIEVING. 7. 1/ 10/10 @ APPROXIMATELY 1946 HOURS OPERATIONS MAKES DETERMINATION THAT GREATER THAN 5 GAL OF OLSD HAS SPILLED FTOM THE COLONIAL PIPELINE SURGE DRUM AND CALLS EHS ON-CALL 1.E. , THE SURQE DRUM AND ASSOCIATED EIEING IS DOT REGULATED E9:);!;IEMENT. 8. 1/ 10/10 @ APPROXIMATELY 2042 HOURS EHS "ON-CALL" REPORTS SPILL TO TXRRC (512) 463-6788 AND TALKS WITH DELILAH-OPETATOR ATLSWEFS THE KINDER MORGAN CALL. 9. 1LLO&11L10 VACUUM TRUCKS, BOOMS AND ABSORBENT EADS DEQLOYED TO CLEAN-UQ SQILL SITE . 10 . 1/ 11 / 10 @ 0400 TROUBLE SHOOTING WAS COMPLETED TO DETERMINE THAT THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE GROVE RELIEF SURGE PROTECTION WAS TOO LOW. MAINTENANCE MATTE REPAIRS, BACK PRESSURE WAS RESTORED ABOVE 90 QSI AND TRANSFER OF ULSD WAS RE -STARTED TO COLONIAL QIQELINE AT APPROXIMATELY 0400 HOURS. + AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TIME LINE OF EVENTS FROM ABOVE DETERMINES THAT THE PROCEDURE/ PM WAS IMPROPERLY PERFORMED ON 178710 ALIOWMG THE N2 BACK PRESSURE TO :TSE LESS THEN 90 PSI WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE 1L10L10 SQILL . ON THE MORNING OF 1[11 [ 10 @ AQQROXIMATELJ,:: 0400 HRS, THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE COLONIAL SURGE DRUM PRESSURE RELIEF WAS INCREASED TO > 90 PSI AND TRANSFER OPERAT1ONS FROM PL.T 9 TO THE COLONIAL PL.PELINE WAS RESUMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. !HE ~ORREC!;;IVE AC!;;IQN FOR THIS EV!ILNT WAS A TRAINING[COAQHING OL2L2QRTUNITJ,:: WI!;;H THE !ILML2 I QJ,::EE. KINGER MORGAN MANAGEMENT AND THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT HAVE TAKEN THE NECESSARY STEPS TO HELP ENSURE EMPLOYEES PERFORM EFIEL.R SCL'IEOULEO PI"IS CORRECELY. FONN PHMSA PHMSA trend classification: not significant, not serious. PHMSA standardized cause: EQUIPMENT FAILURE — OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE. PHMSA indexed costs: $40,336 reported total cost, $22,070.404 in 1984 dollars, $54,352.613 in current-year dollars. PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings. ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `phmsa-pipeline-incidents` - SHA-256: `5d953ee1cc449b516a7810c26594507b2fad3860c0485880046d92f9a505864c` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T03:30:32.010Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T23:29:42.205Z - Document slug: `phmsa-incident-95865c66fb6d7fb5d0934dc5` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "pipeline_incident", "datasetType": "hazardous_liquid", "datasetLabel": "Hazardous liquid", "datasetPeriod": "January 2010 to present", "report": { "number": "20100261", "supplementalNumber": "18050", "type": "SUPPLEMENTAL FINAL", "receivedDate": "2010-11-24", "receivedDateRaw": "11/24/2010" }, "operator": { "id": "26041", "name": "KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC" }, "incident": { "date": "2010-01-10", "dateRaw": "1/10/2010 19:46" }, "location": { "city": null, "county": null, "state": "TX", "postalCode": "77547", "latitude": 29.4305, "longitude": -95.1201, "type": "TOTALLY CONTAINED ON OPERATOR-CONTROLLED PROPERTY", "details": {}, "facilityName": null }, "cause": { "category": "EQUIPMENT FAILURE", "details": { "CAUSE_DETAILS": "OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE", "NARRATIVE": "THE TIMELINE OF THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE 4 BBL SPILL OF ULSD FROM THE COLONIAL PIPELINE / SULGE DRUM IS AS FOLLOWS. L- 1/8 /10 - MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEE EERFORMS PM ON THE GLOVE FLE X -FLOW PIPELINE SURSE EROTECTION RELIEF VAL VE (GROVE RV) I .E\" EMPLOYEE WEEKLY CONFIRMS THAT THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE GROVE LTV IS 90 PSI 01 GREATER. NOTE. THE 1'12 SYSTEM PROVIDES OVERPLESSURE SURGE PROTECTION FOR 12RESSURE TRANSIENTS THAT OCCUR DURING LINE-UE / TRANSFE R C HANSES TO THE COLONIAL E I !2ELINE. 2. 1/8/ 10 - MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OBSERVES AND RECORDS THE N2 PRESSURE WAS LESS THAN 90 PSI AND DID NOT REPORT TLIE LOW PFESSULE MZ PLESSURE TO THEIL SUPEI VISO! 01 TAKE MEASURES TO INCREASE N2 BACK !2RESSURE EER SITE !2ROCEDURE 3. 1/8/10 - THE EVENING OF 1/ 8 THROUGH 1/10 WAS A COLD WEATHER PERIOD F OR THE EASTERN GULF COAST OF TEXAS; CELTTPELACULES DROPPED INTO THE 20L\"S. 4 . 1L10L10 @ A!2!2ROXIMATELY 1830 HOURS KM TERMINAL EERFORMED LINE-UE CHANGE FROM PIT 5 TO PIT 9 FOR OUT BOUND ULSD PRODUCT SWITCH. NOTE: PIT 9 HAS HIGHER OUT BOUND TRANSFER PRESSURE CAPACITY COMPARED WITH ~1T S . 5. 1L1OLLO - BOARD ALARM IS SOUNDED IN THE CONTROL FOR HIGH LEVEL IN THE COLONIAL SURGE DRUM. OPERATIONS SENDS A FIELD OPERATOR TO INVESTIGATE. 6. 1710/10 - 1838 HOMS OPETATOT OBSEIVED OVERRLOWING OF PTODUCT OIL SURGE DTUM AND ORDETS TLIE TRANSFER TO THE COLONIAL EIEELINE SHUTDOWN AND INVESTIGATE WHY THE SURGE DRUM IS RELIEVING. 7. 1/ 10/10 @ APPROXIMATELY 1946 HOURS OPERATIONS MAKES DETERMINATION THAT GREATER THAN 5 GAL OF OLSD HAS SPILLED FTOM THE COLONIAL PIPELINE SURGE DRUM AND CALLS EHS ON-CALL 1.E. , THE SURQE DRUM AND ASSOCIATED EIEING IS DOT REGULATED E9:);!;IEMENT. 8. 1/ 10/10 @ APPROXIMATELY 2042 HOURS EHS \"ON-CALL\" REPORTS SPILL TO TXRRC (512) 463-6788 AND TALKS WITH DELILAH-OPETATOR ATLSWEFS THE KINDER MORGAN CALL. 9. 1LLO&11L10 VACUUM TRUCKS, BOOMS AND ABSORBENT EADS DEQLOYED TO CLEAN-UQ SQILL SITE . 10 . 1/ 11 / 10 @ 0400 TROUBLE SHOOTING WAS COMPLETED TO DETERMINE THAT THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE GROVE RELIEF SURGE PROTECTION WAS TOO LOW. MAINTENANCE MATTE REPAIRS, BACK PRESSURE WAS RESTORED ABOVE 90 QSI AND TRANSFER OF ULSD WAS RE -STARTED TO COLONIAL QIQELINE AT APPROXIMATELY 0400 HOURS. + AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TIME LINE OF EVENTS FROM ABOVE DETERMINES THAT THE PROCEDURE/ PM WAS IMPROPERLY PERFORMED ON 178710 ALIOWMG THE N2 BACK PRESSURE TO :TSE LESS THEN 90 PSI WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE 1L10L10 SQILL . ON THE MORNING OF 1[11 [ 10 @ AQQROXIMATELJ,:: 0400 HRS, THE N2 BACK PRESSURE ON THE COLONIAL SURGE DRUM PRESSURE RELIEF WAS INCREASED TO > 90 PSI AND TRANSFER OPERAT1ONS FROM PL.T 9 TO THE COLONIAL PL.PELINE WAS RESUMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. !HE ~ORREC!;;IVE AC!;;IQN FOR THIS EV!ILNT WAS A TRAINING[COAQHING OL2L2QRTUNITJ,:: WI!;;H THE !ILML2 I QJ,::EE. KINGER MORGAN MANAGEMENT AND THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT HAVE TAKEN THE NECESSARY STEPS TO HELP ENSURE EMPLOYEES PERFORM EFIEL.R SCL'IEOULEO PI\"IS CORRECELY. FONN PHMSA" } }, "consequences": { "fatalities": 0, "injuries": 0, "commodity": "REFINED AND/OR PETROLEUM PRODUCT (NON-HVL) WHICH IS A LIQUID AT AMBIENT CONDITIONS", "release": "0.4", "propertyDamage": 0, "estimatedOperatorCost": 0, "estimatedEmergencyCost": 0, "estimatedEnvironmentalCost": 40000, "ignition": "NO", "explosion": "NO", "evacuated": null, "raw": { "FATAL": "0", "INJURE": "0", "UNINTENTIONAL_RELEASE_BBLS": "0.4", "EST_COST_PROP_DAMAGE": "0", "PRPTY": "40336" } }, "provenance": { "viewId": "27nc-rsge", "viewUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/api/views/27nc-rsge", "assetId": "1d547e17-2be1-4a32-9958-a1d5a946ade9", "archiveFilename": "Hazardous Liquid Accident Data - January 2010 to present.zip", "archiveSha256": "5aaa1a31834a0503acfdfc82172d9ff3483b480019cec1605ebb8e15d0040f0d", "memberPath": "accident_hazardous_liquid_jan2010_present.txt", "memberSha256": "2af519107224bbd22874e67c65f6aa526073a297b2b30104b711d071680488a4", "rowNumber": 5843, "rowSha256": "e4a051ee687bf316307d0b8c57099a3e495f6a1e4acf653a3869a07af0fdccce" }, "caveat": "Operator-reported incident data submitted to PHMSA, generally within 30 days. Records may be supplemented or corrected and do not represent final agency causal findings.", "operatorReported": true, "finalAgencyFinding": false, "flaggedAnalysis": { "dataAsOf": "2026-07-31", "flags": { "fireFirst": null, "significant": false, "serious": false }, "standardizedCause": { "sevenCategory": "MATERIAL/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE", "sevenSubcategory": "OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE", "eightCategory": "EQUIPMENT FAILURE", "eightSubcategory": "OTHER EQUIPMENT FAILURE" }, "costs": { "reported": 40336, "in1984Dollars": 22070.404321628932, "currentYearDollars": 54352.61333887387 }, "caveat": "PHMSA trend flags, standardized causes, and indexed costs are analytical fields added to operator-reported incident data. They do not represent final agency causal findings.", "provenance": { "sourceUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/data_statistics/pipeline/PHMSA_Pipeline_Safety_Flagged_Incidents.zip", "landingPageUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-flagged-files", "catalogUrl": "https://data.transportation.gov/Pipelines-and-Hazmat/Pipeline-Incident-Flagged-Files/qdme-9bbm", "retrievalMode": "official_live", "archivedAt": null, "archiveSha256": "317e6a3e16d60b9b677efe391dc40258b5dd7ead83fb8bea74cb553cedfbbdec", "workbook": "hl2010toPresent.xlsx", "sheet": "hl2010toPresent", "rowNumber": 256, "rowSha256": "c983043f3c03fdc3b553c8e530a23685004c58b408ea505a2b60d5dbb918117e" } }, "jurisdiction": "US", "operatorName": "KINDER MORGAN LIQUID TERMINALS, LLC" } ```