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PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines CHAPTER 8 Ethanol in Pipelines NASFM 1 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Objectives Describe three primary ways ethanol might be transported through pipelines. Differentiate between the physical and chemical properties of ethanol and refined liquid products, such as gasoline. Describe how the solubility of ethanol can impact the response to a pipeline spill. NASFM 2 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Objectives (continued) Identify resources for additional training in ethanol spill response. Identify the proper foam for an ethanol spill. Given an ethanol response scenario, describe how an ethanol pipeline spill can be more complex than spills from other transportation modes. NASFM 3 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Introduction A Brief History of Ethanol As an Alternative Fuel A combination of government mandates and economic factors are driving ethanol use as a vehicle fuel. Ethyl alcohol, ethanol, is fermented from organic material, it is not an oil distillate. Technically referred to as a polar solvent liquid, ethanol and the family of polar solvents will require different response actions than those described in Session 4 for refined liquid products. The majority of ethanol consumed in the US is produced domestically at ethanol plants with growing amounts being imported. Commercial ethanol is denatured with up to 5% gasoline making the alcohol non-drinkable, creating Fuel Grade Ethanol (FGE). NASFM 4 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Introduction A Brief History of Ethanol As an Alternative Fuel (Continued) Fuel Grade Ethanol is mostly transported by barge, tank trucks and railcars to terminals where blending with gasoline at various proportions occur prior to distribution to service stations. The most common blends are referred to as E-10, which is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline and E-85, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. E-85 is an alternative fuel to gasoline that may be used in Flexible Fueled Vehicles. It is being distributed throughout the US. NASFM 5 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Introduction A Brief History of Ethanol As an Alternative Fuel (Continued) At loading terminals ethanol is blended with gasoline to produce fuels capable of meeting the Clean Air Requirements which are specific to a state or geographic region. Increasing market use of ethanol blended fuels is leading to an interest in transporting large volumes of ethanol via pipeline. Pipelines have historically only transported refined liquid petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil. These trends are changing. In December of 2008, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners began commercial pipeline shipment of FGE batched with gasoline between Tampa and Orlando, Florida. NASFM 6 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Pipeline Transportation of Ethanol Let’s consider the primary methods of transporting ethanol by pipeline: 1. Fuel Grade Ethanol batched with other refined products 2. Ethanol/gasoline blends batched with other refined products 3. Dedicated ethanol pipeline moving ethanol or ethanol/gasoline blends Option 1 – Fuel Grade Ethanol batched with other products is most likely to occur as ethanol production increases. In Session 4, you learned about the batching process used to transport consecutive slugs of refined liquid products in a pipeline. Pipeline operators may batch either blends of ethanol/gasoline or FGE as a routine part of their pipeline operation. These are the procedures which responders should take into account in order to prepare and appropriately respond to a pipeline carrying ethanol. NASFM 7 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Pipeline Transportation of Ethanol Option 1 – Emergency responders should first identify if any pipelines traverse through their jurisdiction. This is possible and the data is available by applying for access to the National Pipeline Mapping System at the following website: http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/ . Information on the data and about applying is available at the following website: http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/Documents/NPMS%20resources.pdf. If a pipeline does travel through the area of jurisdiction then emergency responders should contact the pipeline operator and discuss the risks associated with the commodities transported through that pipeline. Current regulations require pipeline operators to develop and implement public awareness programs consistent with the requirements of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 and the guidance provided by the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1162, "Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators." Operators must include in their programs activities to advise affected municipalities, emergency responders and the general public. NASFM 8 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Pipeline Transportation of Ethanol Option 1 (continued) – If the pipeline operator intends to transport ethanol using one of the three methods discussed earlier, emergency responders should develop a response plan with information from pipeline operators in order to manage risks and for being prepared to handle a worst case scenario unique to that system. Several pipeline operators are conducting ethanol batch testing and should be contacting communities along the pipeline route in advance of these tests. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has requested a voluntary 60-day advance notification from any pipeline operator planning commercial or batch testing of ethanol. A list of operators who replied can be found at the following website: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/iim/notifications.imd?order=type Emergency responders can contact PHMSA via this website and be connected with the operator point of contact. NASFM 9 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Pipeline Transportation of Ethanol Option 1 (continued) – Emergency responders should understand threats from ethanol fuel mixtures and how to safely and effectively respond. The following are resources to understand ethanol chemical characteristics, effective response and foams for use on ethanol fuel mixture fires: Material Safety Data Sheet http://www.msdsonline.com/ Emergency Response Guidebook http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/erg Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition (EERC) http://www.ethanolresponse.com/ NASFM EERC Foam Guidance http://www.ethanolresponse.com/projects.html Other resources http://www.ethanolresponse.com/resources.html 10 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Pipeline Transportation of Ethanol (continued) Ethanol Pipeline incidents can be more complex than incidents via other transportation modes. For example: Emergency responders responding to a gasoline pipeline spill could suddenly find themselves dealing with a spill of fuel grade ethanol (E95). Pipeline pressure, elevation changes, and valve positioning all affect the leak rate of product(s) from a batched refined liquid pipeline. During a pipeline spill response, communication with the pipeline operator control center is crucial to identify the product sequence in a batched pipeline. NASFM 11 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Physical & Chemical Properties of Ethanol The physical properties of ethanol are very different from those of refined petroleum products. A liquid, ethanol, is colorless and has a mild, pleasant odor. Its vapor density is greater than 1, which means that ethanol vapor will collect in low areas. Ethanol’s specific gravity is less than 1, which means liquid ethanol is lighter than water. However, unlike gasoline, ethanol will not float on water due to its solubility. Ethanol and water are completely miscible together, please see a fuel grade ethanol MSDS for further information. Rather than floating on top of water like gasoline, ethanol will dissolve into the water. Tests have shown that solutions of one part ethanol and five parts water will burn. NASFM 12 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Effect of Solubility on Incident Response The Eight Step Process for responding to incidents described in Session 6 fully applies to pipeline leaks involving ethanol. However some basic principles of spill control are unique for ethanol. Many Class B low-expansion foams are capable of extinguishing and suppressing vapors from a gasoline spill. However, they would simply dissolve into ethanol. For ethanol/gasoline blends, the effectiveness of Protein, Fluoroprotein, Aqueous Film-Forming (AFFF), and FilmForming Fluoroprotein (FFFP) foams degrades rapidly as the percentage of ethanol increases. Studies have shown that even E10 can render these foams ineffective for extinguishing fires and suppressing vapors. NASFM 13 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Effect of Solubility on Incident Response (continued) For large pipeline spills, the sheer volume of ethanol or ethanol/gasoline released would likely overwhelm even wellequipped fire departments. Pipeline operators have primary responsibility for containing and recovering spills. The operator will need to be cognizant of the miscible nature of ethanol during these operations. Emergency responders and pipeline operators should remember that pipeline transportation of ethanol can pose unique challenges. NASFM 14 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Effect of Solubility on Incident Response (continued) Ethanol gasoline fuel mixtures react differently when spilled on soil versus on water. Emergency Responders should contact their Environmental Protection Agency regional office for more information on ethanol gasoline fuel spills on land and on water. NASFM 15 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Alcohol Resistant Foam Concentrate (ARC) The chemical make-up of ARC forms a membrane between the foam blanket and the fuel. This membrane inhibits the absorption of the foam into the fuel. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has created a training program, entitled Preparing for an Ethanol and Flammable Liquid Response. The written material and video provide extensive information on the selection and application of foams. These products are posted on the Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition website (http://www.ethanolresponse.com/) and can be found under the “EERC Projects” and “Resources” link. NASFM 16 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Alcohol Resistant Foam Concentrate (ARC) – (Continued) Highlights from the IAFC training program include: ARC must be applied gently to the surface of the fuel to inhibit absorption. Deflecting the foam spray from surfaces adjacent to the spill helps limit foam absorption. ARC should be applied to an alcohol spill at roughly twice the rate of traditional Class B foams. NASFM 17 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Alcohol Resistant Foam Concentrate (ARC) – (Continued) It is crucial for fire departments to liaise with refined liquid pipeline operators in their response area to learn if a pipeline transports either ethanol/gasoline blends or pure ethanol. Since ARCs are effective on spills of both polar solvents and hydrocarbons, fire departments should consider stocking ARC and using it for response to all flammable liquid spills. NASFM 18 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Hypothetical Ethanol Response Scenario A construction crew installing a sewer line extension within a highlypopulated community gouges a refined liquid pipeline. Product sprays from the gouge and the backhoe engine ignites a vapor cloud over the ditch. All of the construction crew members safely move away from the site. A police officer arrives first in response to the 911 call from the construction crew. The officer notices a pipeline marker uphill from the incident site. The officer calls the emergency phone number on the marker and provides the location of the incident to the pipeline operator. Upon arrival on the scene, the HazMat Incident Commander (IC) conducts a hazard and risk assessment to determine the level of response and proper protection for the surrounding property. The fire has an orange flame, there is a strong smell of gasoline, and nearby buildings are beginning to smolder. The liquid is overflowing into the ditch and a burning trail is slowly moving downhill. Approximately 250 feet downhill from the site is a small river that provides drinking water for the community. NASFM 19 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Hypothetical Ethanol Response Scenario (continued) Tactical Objectives – Prevent further spread of the fire and damage to surrounding property. Prevent the liquid from reaching the river. Summary of Actions Taken – Apply AFFF to the pool of burning liquid. Direct water hose streams to nearby buildings. Place booms and dikes 50 feet from the river to prevent the liquid from reaching the river. The foam has little effect on the size of the fire and increases the volume of burning liquid flowing toward the river. NASFM 20 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Hypothetical Ethanol Response Scenario (continued) Summary of Actions (continued)– A pipeline operator HazMat crew arrives on site and informs the IC that the pump on the pipeline has been shut down. The leaking product is gasoline and within 10 minutes a batch of pure ethanol will drain back from the pipeline to the leak site. The pipeline operator HazMat crew has ARC in their truck. The IC immediately ceases application of AFFF and begins applying ARC, at twice the rate used for the AFFF, by deflecting the foam off of the backhoe. The fire is soon extinguished. The booms and dikes are reinforced to ensure the liquid continuing to drain back from the pipeline will not reach the river. NASFM 21 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Hypothetical Ethanol Response Scenario (continued) Comments and Observations – The pipeline operator’s emergency contact numbers were found on the pipeline marker. The AFFF was absorbed into the pool of spilled gasoline and only increased the volume of hazardous material. The refined liquid pipeline operator employee provided information crucial to properly responding to the incident. ARC was applied at twice the normal flow rate and deflected from a nearby surface onto the spill. NASFM 22 PIPELINE EMERGENCIES Chapter 8 – Ethanol in Pipelines Ethanol: Response Considerations Video The Ethanol: Response Considerations video was developed by the US Department of Transportation, PHSMA in partnership with IAFC to equip emergency responders with the basic understanding on how to identify and prepare to combat incidences involving ethanol and ethanol blended fuels. To view this video, visit link below. http://www.tvworldwide.com/showclip.cfm?id=11019&clip=2 NASFM 23