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State-specific information:

Washington Significant Incidents Listing

The report below provides some details for all reported significant incidents in the state of Washington over the period 1999-2008.

The incidents reported below are limited to Significant Incidents (A) only.

The data sources for this report are the PHMSA Filtered Incident Files (1) (2) (3).

See State Significant Incident and Mileage Overview for a summary of pipeline systems in Washington.

Where appropriate, the table columns can be sorted by clicking the corresponding column header.

Washington Pipeline Safety Regulatory Fact Sheet

More Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports are available.

Important Update: As of October 2009, these reports were modified to exclude Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure (B)
Washington All Pipeline Systems: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D) Gross Barrels Lost Net Barrels Lost (E)
02/26/1999 STEVENSON NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE 0 0 $4,970,414 N/A N/A
06/10/1999 BELLINGHAM OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 3 8 $55,917,159 5,475 5,241
07/22/1999 BOTHELL PUGET SOUND ENERGY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $108,661 N/A N/A
08/29/1999 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $372,781 80 38
07/21/2000 PASCO TIDEWATER, INC CORROSION 0 0 $974,400 900 900
10/26/2000 BELLINGHAM TRANS MOUNTAIN OIL PIPE LINE CORP INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $389,760 645 17
04/16/2002 KALAMA NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $247,509 N/A N/A
04/12/2003 FEDERAL WAY PUGET SOUND ENERGY ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $144,621 N/A N/A
05/01/2003 SUMNER NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) CORROSION 0 0 $132,489 N/A N/A
05/29/2003 NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $216,862 N/A N/A
12/13/2003 TOLEDO NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $171,565 N/A N/A
05/23/2004 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $693,827 45 25
06/22/2004 SEATTLE PUGET SOUND ENERGY INCORRECT OPERATION 0 1 $0 N/A N/A
07/26/2004 GIG HARBOR PUGET SOUND ENERGY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $126,851 N/A N/A
09/02/2004 BELLEVUE PUGET SOUND ENERGY CORROSION 1 0 $406,418 N/A N/A
12/17/2004 SPOKANE VALLEY AVISTA UTILITIES EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $120,674 N/A N/A
05/24/2006 SPRAGUE NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORPORATION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $159,215 N/A N/A
11/03/2008 SPOKANE EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $580,170 85 71
12/26/2008 ODESSA AVISTA CORP MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 1 $55,200 N/A N/A
Totals     4 10 $65,788,583 7,230 6,292
Export Table
Washington Hazardous Liquid: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D) Gross Barrels Lost Net Barrels Lost (E)
06/10/1999 BELLINGHAM OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 3 8 $55,917,159 5,475 5,241
08/29/1999 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $372,781 80 38
07/21/2000 PASCO TIDEWATER, INC CORROSION 0 0 $974,400 900 900
10/26/2000 BELLINGHAM TRANS MOUNTAIN OIL PIPE LINE CORP INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $389,760 645 17
05/23/2004 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $693,827 45 25
11/03/2008 SPOKANE EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $580,170 85 71
Totals     3 8 $58,928,098 7,230 6,292
Export Table
Washington Hazardous Liquid Onshore: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D) Gross Barrels Lost Net Barrels Lost (E)
06/10/1999 BELLINGHAM OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 3 8 $55,917,159 5,475 5,241
08/29/1999 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $372,781 80 38
07/21/2000 PASCO TIDEWATER, INC CORROSION 0 0 $974,400 900 900
10/26/2000 BELLINGHAM TRANS MOUNTAIN OIL PIPE LINE CORP INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $389,760 645 17
05/23/2004 RENTON OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $693,827 45 25
11/03/2008 SPOKANE EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO INCORRECT OPERATION 0 0 $580,170 85 71
Totals     3 8 $58,928,098 7,230 6,292
Export Table

No Data Available

Washington Gas Transmission: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D)
02/26/1999 STEVENSON NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE 0 0 $4,970,414
04/16/2002 KALAMA NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $247,509
05/01/2003 SUMNER NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) CORROSION 0 0 $132,489
05/29/2003 NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $216,862
12/13/2003 TOLEDO NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $171,565
05/24/2006 SPRAGUE NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORPORATION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $159,215
Totals     0 0 $5,898,057
Export Table
Washington Gas Transmission Onshore: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D)
02/26/1999 STEVENSON NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP NATURAL FORCE DAMAGE 0 0 $4,970,414
04/16/2002 KALAMA NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $247,509
05/01/2003 SUMNER NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) CORROSION 0 0 $132,489
05/29/2003 NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $216,862
12/13/2003 TOLEDO NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORP (WGP) MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $171,565
05/24/2006 SPRAGUE NORTHWEST PIPELINE CORPORATION MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 0 $159,215
Totals     0 0 $5,898,057
Export Table

No Data Available

No Data Available

Washington Gas Distribution: 1999-2008
Date City Operator Cause Fatalities Injuries Property Damage (C) (D)
07/22/1999 BOTHELL PUGET SOUND ENERGY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $108,661
04/12/2003 FEDERAL WAY PUGET SOUND ENERGY ALL OTHER CAUSES 0 0 $144,621
06/22/2004 SEATTLE PUGET SOUND ENERGY INCORRECT OPERATION 0 1 $0
07/26/2004 GIG HARBOR PUGET SOUND ENERGY EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $126,851
09/02/2004 BELLEVUE PUGET SOUND ENERGY CORROSION 1 0 $406,418
12/17/2004 SPOKANE VALLEY AVISTA UTILITIES EXCAVATION DAMAGE 0 0 $120,674
12/26/2008 ODESSA AVISTA CORP MAT'L/WELD/EQUIP FAILURE 0 1 $55,200
Totals     1 2 $962,427
Export Table

Notes

  1. Significant Incidents are those incidents reported by pipeline operators with any of the following conditions are met: 1) fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization. 2) $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars. 3) highly volatile liquid releases of 5 barrels or more or other liquid releases of 50 barrels or more. 4) liquid releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion. Note: Significant Incidents include all Serious Incidents. Unless otherwise noted, any counts of Significant Incidents also include Serious Incidents.
  2. Gas Distribution incidents where fire/explosion was the primary cause of failure, such as a house fire that subsequently resulted in - but was not caused by - a distribution line failure are excluded from 2004 onward. This exclusion has not been applied in years prior to 2004 due to difficulty in identifying these types of events with the older report formats.
  3. The costs for incidents prior to 2008 are presented in 2008 dollars. Cost of Gas lost is indexed via the Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas City Gate Prices. All other costs are adjusted via the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Government Printing Office inflation values.
  4. For years 2002 and later, property damage is estimated as the sum of all public and private costs reported in the 30-day incident report. For years prior to 2002, accident report forms did not include a breakdown of public and private costs so property damage for these years is the reported total property damage field in the report. All costs prior to 2008 are expressed in 2008 dollars.
  5. Net Barrels Lost applies only to Liquid incidents and is the difference between Gross Barrels Spilled and Barrels Recovered.

Sources

  1. PHMSA Hazardous Liquid Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  2. PHMSA Gas Transmission Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009
  3. PHMSA Gas Distribution Flagged Incidents File - October 14, 2009

See Pipeline Incidents and Mileage Reports for more pipeline safety reports.

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