PHMSA 27-16
Friday, October 14, 2016

News Digest

PHMSA Issues Amendment to Corrective Action Order for Alabama Gasoline Spill. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration today amended the Sept. 16 Corrective Action Order originally issued to Colonial Pipeline Company in response to the Sept. 9 pipeline rupture in Pelham, Alabama, that resulted the release of approximately 6,000 gallons of fuel into a retention pond. The amendment directs Colonial to immediately take a number of corrective actions to protect the public, property, and the environment from potential hazards associated with the failure, including developing a Restart Plan that would apply once permanent repairs have been made and a temporary bypass approved to facilitate limited operation of the line has been removed. PHMSA is investigating the cause of the failure, any factors that contributed to the severity of the incident, and the operator's adherence to Federal pipeline safety standards. As our investigation continues, the order can be amended to direct the operator to take additional actions to address the root cause of this incident, as well as any other factors that may have contributed to the pipeline failure. Read the amended CAO here. Contact for media: Artealia Gilliard (202) 366-4831.

# # #