Last week Spotlight PA published a two-part series about how emergency response plans for the Mariner East natural gas liquid pipelines left many communities in the dark about what to do in case of an accident. It was called-- Are We Prepared?
-- Part II: Emergency Plans Fail To Consider Complexity Of Mariner East Pipelines, And Those Most At Risk In An Accident.
-- Interactive Map: Explore the Mariner East Pipeline System And Its History With This Interactive Map.
More Background
The cross-state Mariner East Pipeline construction project by Sunoco (a.k.a. Energy Transfer) has accumulated nearly $17 million in penalties assessed by DEP, easily one of the most penalized projects ever permitted by the agency.
That amount was only exceeded by another Energy Transfer pipeline project in Pennsylvania-- DEP assessed a $30.6 million penalty to Energy Transfer for the 2018 explosion of the brand-new Revolution natural gas pipeline in Beaver County. Read more here.
Mariner East was also the subject of multiple, temporary bans on permit reviews and shutdown orders by DEP in an attempt to get the company’s attention to correct multiple violations during construction.
And construction continues.
Most recently, Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline construction caused a nearly 8,000 gallon spill of drilling fluid into the lake at Marsh Creek State Park. Read more here. And spills are continuing in Lebanon and other counties. Read more here.
Visit DEP’s Mariner East Pipeline webpage for more information and see the Related Articles below.
The Public Utility Commission and Susquehanna River Basin Commission have also imposed multiple penalties on Sunoco for Mariner East 1 and 2 Pipeline construction and operation violations.
The pipeline is also the subject of multiple criminal investigations by the FBI, state Attorney General and the District Attorneys in Chester and Delaware counties.
As early as a December 2018 Senate hearing, frustration with Sunoco’s compliance record and the way it deals with the public and local officials was expressed by Sen. Don White (R-Indiana) who took the highly unusual step of singling out one pipeline company by name-- Sunoco.
He said if the issues raised at the Senate hearing are only about one company [Sunoco Mariner East Pipelines] “we should be able to deal with that company and put them out of business.” Read more here.
There have been multiple calls for the state to adopt legislation to get more involved in approving pipeline routes by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Utility Commission starting more than a year ago. Read more here.
And yet, bipartisan bills in the Senate and House that would address significant natural gas and hazardous liquids pipeline safety legislation have seen little or no action and none have made it to the Governor’s desk. Read more here.
The issue of how to handle the increasing number of pipeline projects in Pennsylvania is certainly not new.
In 2015, Gov. Wolf convened a Governor’s Pipeline Task Force to look at the issues from all sides and it made 184 recommendations in a report in February of 2016.
Some of those recommendations were implemented, for example beefing up the pipeline inspection program at the PUC, others found their way into legislation-- which has not been acted on. Many others were not implemented or their status is unknown. Read more here.
NewsClips:
John Hurdle: At PUC Hearing On Mariner East Safety, Plaintiffs Say Sunoco’s Public Awareness Plan Falls Short
Trouble-Plagued Mariner East Pipeline Project Sparks Fear In Suburbs
Related Articles:
-- How Long Must The Public Wait For Action On Bipartisan Pipeline Safety Bills?
-- Clean Air Council Files Intent To Sue Sunoco Over Mariner East II Pipeline Construction Permits
-- Legislators Issue Call For Revocation Of Mariner East Pipeline Permits In Chester County
-- AP: FBI Opens Corruption Investigation Into How Wolf Administration Approved Mariner East Pipelines
-- Attorney General, Delaware County DA Conducting Joint Investigation Into Mariner East Pipelines
-- $200,000 Penalty Proposed In PUC Settlement Of 2017 Mariner East 1 Pipeline Leak Case
-- Rep. Comitta, Sen. Killion Host Public Meeting Jan. 31 On Mariner East Pipeline Safety Concerns
-- PUC Judge Issues Order To Shut Down Mariner East 1, 2, 2x Pipelines, Sunoco To Appeal
-- Sunoco Mariner East II Pipeline Fined $12.6 Million, DEP Allows Construction To Resume
[Posted: October 18, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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