Colonial Pipeline Conducts On-water Response Training On The Chattahoochee River

ROSWELL, Ga. – Colonial Pipeline Co. conducted on-water response training on the Chattahoochee River on Wednesday, July 29. The exercise, coordinated with the U.S. National Park Service and City of Roswell Parks & Recreation, wasdesigned to test the capabilities and coordination of local agencies, contractors and response teams. The exercise took place near Don White Memorial Park in Roswell, Ga. 

As part of the exercise, Colonial’s response team quickly calculated water flow patterns to determine the best strategy for containment. The team then practiced deploying containment boom on the water at strategic locations. Grapefruits, which simulate the way refined products flow, were tossed in the water to test the teams tactics and performance. As the grapefruits flowed downstream, they flowed directly to the containment boom sites and were collected. While operating safely and preventing an incident from occurring is the primary goal, training exercises like this improve Colonial’s ability to respond quickly and decisively if needed. 

Colonial Pipeline Co. invited the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) to attend and observe the exercise. 

“Colonial Pipeline’s longtime partnership with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is based on a shared goal, which is to keep our river and its ecosystem clean,” says Colonial Pipeline’s Ryan Rogers, ​“We have a robust system integrity program to prevent incidents, but if we ever had to respond to an incident, being prepared is very important to us. The Riverkeeper is an expert on the river system and keeping it clean, so we value CRK’s feedback and partnership to ensure we work together to keep the river safe.”

Colonial Pipeline Co. annually collaborates with emergency responders and holds training exercises in all 13 states it operates in to increase public safety. On-water training exercises are part of the overall response training program.

About Colonial Pipeline Co. 

Based in Alpharetta, Ga., Colonial is a 5,500-mile pipeline system transporting gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, home heating oil and fuels for the U.S. military. The network of underground pipelines originates in Houston, Texas, and terminates at Linden, N.J., on the New York harbor.