Signs of a pipeline Product Release:

• Sight – A mist, white cloud or accumulation of petroleum on the ground. Dying vegetation on a green corridor.
• Sound – A hissing or roaring noise.
• Smell – Characteristic petroleum odor.

What to do:

• Call Wespac collect (numbers listed below) and give the location of the petroleum.
• Remain upwind.
• Keep ignition sources (Vehicles) away.
• Police should prevent the public from entering the area.
• The Fire Department should protect public and adjacent property.

What NOT to do:

• Do not enter the area.
• Do not attempt to extinguish a fully involved fire on the pipeline right-of-way.
• Do not operate pipeline valves.

WesPac will:

• Shut down the pipeline.
• Dispatch personnel to investigate.
• Close valves to isolate the problem.
• Identify hazardous areas.
• Protect the environment.
• Excavate and repair the damaged line.

 How can you tell where a pipeline is located?

Look for these signs…

Painted metal or plastic posts	Signs located near roads, railroads & along pipeline right-of-ways	Pipeline casing vent	Marker for pipeline patrol plane

Since pipelines are buried underground, line markers like the ones shown above are used to indicate their approximate location along the route. The markers can be found where a pipeline intersects a street, highway, or railway.

The markers display the material transported in the line, the name of the pipeline operator, and a telephone number where the operator can be reached in the event of an emergency.

 Are pipeline markers always placed on top of the pipeline?

No. Markers indicate the general location of a pipeline. They cannot be relied upon to indicate exact position of the pipeline they mark. Also, the pipeline may not follow a straight course between markers. And, while markers are helpful in locating pipelines, they are limited in the information they provide. They provide no information, for example, on the depth or number of pipelines in the vicinity.

 What is a pipeline right-of-way?

A pipeline right-of-way is a strip of land over and around pipelines where some of the property owner’s legal rights have been sold to a pipeline company. A right-of-way agreement between the pipeline company and the property owner is also called an easement and is usually filed in the public records with property deeds. Rights-of-ways and easements provide a permanent, limited interest in the land that enables the pipeline company to operate, test, inspect, repair, maintain, replace, and protect one or more pipelines on property owned by others. The agreement may vary the rights and widths of the right-of-way, but generally, the pipeline company’s right-of-ways extend 25 feet from each side of a pipeline unless special conditions exist.

 Leak Clamping Assistance

If WesPac employees need to enter a hot zone to clamp a pipeline release, local fire department personnel can assist in several ways.

1. Foam over spilled product to suppress vapor generation.
2. Provide standby fire watch personnel.
3. Provide standby lifeline handlers to WesPac personnel entering an excavation to clamp a release. Lifeline handlers are needed should an emergency evacuation of the excavation be required.
4. Help maintain the containment dams and install more where needed.
5. Monitor the atmosphere in the repair and containment areas.

Remember: Crude Oil and Petroleum Products Float on Water!

Containment Devices Prevent the Migration of Petroleum Products:

There are several basic containment devices that can be used to prevent the migration of petroleum products on land and on small streams.

• Storm Sewer or Manhole Dam
• Small Stream Containment Boom
• Pipe Skimming or Underflow Dam
• Wire Fence and Straw Filter Dam

Installing these containment devices which are made of inexpensive materials and available at most locations, can protect the public’s safety and minimize environmental impact.

A Good Containment Location Must Meet the Following Criteria:

• The site must be accessible by truck or boat so that the cleanup crew can collect and remove the oil.
• The site must be in the path of the oil so that the oil will be intercepted.
• The site must avoid high currents and poor anchoring locations.

Storm Sewer or Manhole Dam

Typical Small Stream Containment Boom

Pipe Skimming or Underflow Dam

Wire Fence and Straw Filter Dam

These pipeline systems are operated by WesPac Pipe Line Company:

WesPac Reno/Tahoe Airport

WesPac San Diego International Airport

In An Emergency, Call One Of The 24-Hour WesPac Telephone Numbers

For Your Safety, Call.

In an emergency, please report a suspected pipeline problem to:

WESPAC PIPELINES
714-269-9028
and call 911 or your local Fire or Police Authorities directly.
For non-emergency questions, call WesPac at 949-759-7855.