“Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka made the announcement at a Tuesday meeting about the leak in Washington Crossing, where elected officials criticized representatives from Energy Transfer, the parent company of Sunoco, for declining to answer questions as the number of household wells testing positive for jet fuel-related contamination rises to 14.”
“The Bucks County District Attorney's Office had referred the pipeline leak to the state attorney general's office, which is now in the early stages of its investigation, Louka said. Attorney General Dave Sunday's press secretary, Brett Hambright, confirmed Friday that Sunday's office is investigating.”
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The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said its investigation into the pipeline leak so far shows it may have been leaking for as long as 16 months, WHYY reported on February 28.
On March 6, the Department of Environmental Protection ordered Energy Transfer/Sunoco to install water treatment systems in over 200 homes impacted by the pipeline leak. Read more here.
Prior Criminal Convictions/Penalties
On August 5, 2022, EnergyTransfer, Sunoco, ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC were convicted of criminal charges related to their conduct during the construction of two major pipelines in Pennsylvania that resulted in a catastrophic explosion of the Revolution Pipeline in Beaver County and contaminated water supplies related to the Mariner East Pipelines. Read more here.
Energy Transfer/Sunoco have been fined a total of over $48.1 million for multiple, serious violations related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines and the Revolution Pipelines starting in 2018 that resulted in an explosion, contamination of water supplies, pollution of the Marsh Creek State Park lake and the lake at the Raystown Lake Recreation Area.
Following an investigation by the Office of Attorney General Environmental Crimes Section and recommendations from the 45th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, Sunoco Pipeline L.P. was charged with 48 counts of environmental crimes for their conduct during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline which carries hazardous natural gas liquids. [Read more here.]
The Grand Jury learned that at many of the locations during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline, Sunoco Pipeline L.P. repeatedly allowed thousands of gallons of drilling fluid to escape underground, which sometimes surfaced in fields, backyards, streams, lakes and wetlands.
The company then failed to report the losses of fluid to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection numerous times, in spite of the legal requirement to do so.
The Grand Jury found that there were multiple drill locations where the drilling fluid contained unapproved additives that entered the waters of the Commonwealth — potentially impacting the drinking water of Pennsylvanians who rely on water wells.
In the case of Revolution Pipeline, jurors from the 46th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury reviewed evidence that ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC (ETC), a subsidiary of Energy Transfer, repeatedly ignored environmental protocols and custom plans that were created to minimize erosion and the possibility of a landslide at the site, which they were restoring to its pre-construction appearance. [Read more here.]
Natural gas escaped from the pipeline, causing a devastating explosion.
Residents had to evacuate their homes as their barns, vehicles, and homes burned, and over two acres of mature trees burned into piles of ash. ETC was charged with nine counts of environmental crimes related to their conduct during the construction of the Revolution Pipeline.
Energy Transfer/Sunoco agreed to pay for testing of potentially impacted water supplies and pay $10 million towards projects that improve the health and safety of water sources along the routes of the pipelines .Read more here.
DEP also penalized Energy Transfer/Sunoco $30.6 million for environmental violations related to the Revolution Pipeline explosion. Read more here.
DEP penalized Energy Transfer/Sunoco $4 million in 2021 for damages related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines in Chester County related to contamination of the lake at Marsh Creek State Park. Read more here.
In 2021, DEP collected a penalty of $497,000 and the Fish and Boat Commission collected $25,855 in penalties for violations related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines in Lebanon County. Read more here.
In 2020, DEP issued a $1.95 million penalty to Energy Transfer/Sunoco for construction violations of the Mariner East Pipelines under the federal Raystown Lake Recreation Area in Huntingdon County. Read more here.
In 2019, DEP issued a $319,461 penalty to Energy Transfer/Sunoco for environmental violations related to construction of the Energy Transfer/Sunoco Mariner East Pipelines in 11 counties-- Berks, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Delaware, Lebanon, Perry, Washington and Westmoreland County. Read more here.
In 2018, DEP fined Energy Transfer/Sunoco $12.6 million for violations related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines at multiple locations across the state. Read more here.
In 2018, DEP imposed an unprecedented block on issuing any new permits to Energy Transfer/Sunoco until the company resolves multiple environmental violations and adopts policies that require compliance with the state’s environmental laws and regulations. Read more here.
Frustration by the flagrant violations of environmental laws and the inability of current state law to prevent damage caused by Energy Transfer/Sunoco pipeline construction related to the Mariner East Pipeline can be illustrated by a 2018 quote from Republican Sen. Don White (Indiana County) at a Senate Committee meeting-- “We should be able to deal with that company and put them out of business.” Read more here.
The Public Utility Commission fined Energy Transfer/Sunoco $1 million for violations related to the Revolution Pipeline explosion. Read more here.
In 2020, the PUC imposed a $200,000 penalty on Energy Transfer/Sunoco related to integrity testing of the Mariner East Pipeline 1. Read more here.
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission penalized Energy Transfer/Sunoco $18,500 for illegal water withdrawals related to the construction of the Mariner East Pipelines. Read more here.
(Photo: Apparent source of Bucks County Energy Transfer/Sunoco pipeline leak from DEP inspection report.)
NewsClips - Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak:
-- Courier Times: PA State Attorney General Investigates Potential Environmental Crimes Amid Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak In Bucks County
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Ordered To Supply Homes With Bottled Water, Filtration Systems In Wake Of Pipeline Spill
-- Courier Times: PA DEP Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Petroleum Products Pipeline Leak In Bucks County Violated State Law
-- Courier Times: Bucks County Residents Demand Answers On Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Inspection Report For 2023 Flash Flood
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Bucks County Residents Fear Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak Could Be More Widespread Than Company Acknowledges; Class Action Lawsuit Expected To Be Filed
-- Courier Times: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Disputes Findings, Recommended Fixes Of Federal Pipeline Regulator In Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak Investigation In Bucks County
Related Articles - Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipelines:
-- DEP Orders Energy Transfer/Sunoco To Install Water Treatment Systems In Over 200 Homes Impacted By Petroleum Products Pipeline Leak In Bucks County [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 15 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permits, 401 Certification For National Fuel Gas Tioga Pathway Natural Gas Pipeline Project In McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 15 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PA American Water Identifies Water Source For New Public Water System To Replace Water Wells Contaminated By Shale Gas Fracking 20 Years Ago In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]
-- Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Washington County Resident To DEP: Harmon Creek Natural Gas Plant Expansion Will Result In A Huge Increase In Air Pollution, It Should Be Required To Have A Major Air Quality Permit, It Is Not A ‘Minor’ Source [PaEN]
-- Moms Clean Air Force To DEP: Families In Washington County Are Already Living In The Middle Of Major Natural Gas Industrial Sites - Do Not Expand The Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant And Make It Worse [PaEN]
-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Attended By Nearly 480 People Featured Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development [PaEN]
-- Republican Herald Editorial: One-Sided Discussions On Issues Don’t Promote True Progress, EPA Visit Was Not A 'Roundtable Discussion,' But A 'Rally' For Natural Gas In Delaware River Basin [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Marks Milestone Of Plugging 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Over 2 Years; New Technology Finding More Abandoned Wells [PaEN]
-- The Derrick: FrenchCreek Twp., Venango County Commissioner Said They Were Not Aware Of NOVA Cryptocurrency Data Mining Operation Using Natural Gas Well Until It Started [They Did Receive Act 14 Notices] [PDF of Article]
-- PA Council Of Trout Unlimited: Millions In Trout Unlimited Watershed Projects Improve The Environment, Local Economies Across The US; Federal Funding Freeze, Office Closures, Staff Cuts 'Sacrificing Our National Conservation Legacy' [PaEN]
-- Pocono Record - Brian Whipkey: Trout Unlimited Officials Worry Over Potential Impacts From Reduced Federal Funding In PA [PDF of Article]
-- Gov. Shapiro Launches Legislative Push for 'Lightning Plan’ To Build More Energy Projects, Speed Up Permitting, Lower Costs, Create Jobs For Pennsylvanians [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: Geothermal Might Have The Answer For Pennsylvania's Clean Energy Needs - By John Walliser, PA Environmental Council & Kevin Sunday, McNees Wallace & Nurick [PaEN]
-- EPA Pulls Back Regulations Setting Methane Emission Limits, Regulating Wastewater From Oil & Gas Operations, Risk Management Rule At Petrochemical Plants [PaEN]
-- EPA Launches Biggest Deregulation Action For Industry In US History, 'Driving A Dagger Straight Into The Heart Of The Climate Change Religion,’ Unleashing The American Energy Industry [PaEN]
-- Clean Air Council: EPA To Reverse Life-Saving Finding Carbon Pollution Is Endangering Public Health By Driving Climate Change [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: EPA Deregulation Bombshell A Blow To The Chesapeake Bay [PaEN]
-- Evangelical Environmental Network: EPA Announces Plan To Put Pollution Before Our Health [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Scranton Times: PA American To Provide Clean Drinking Water In Dimock To Replace Fracking-Contaminated Private Wells [PDF of Article]
-- WVIA: PA American Water: Dimock Twp. Residents Will Have Drinkable Water By 2026
-- Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette: Chester, Delaware County Leading The Fight For Environmental Justice [LNG Export Facility]
-- Courier Times: PA State Attorney General Investigates Potential Environmental Crimes Amid Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak In Bucks County
-- Marcellus Drilling News: New Federal Administration Considers Strategies To Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Fracking Ban [PDF of Article]
-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: New Tool Help Beaver County Residents Evaluate Air Quality
-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Philadelphia Gas Works Decaying Infrastructure A Ticking time Bomb Beneath Our Streets - POWER Interfaith Climate Justice And Jobs Team
-- Frederick News-Post: FEMA Cancels In-Person, Most Virtual National Fire Academy Training For First Responders In Emmitsburg, MD, Disrupting Training
-- York Daily Record: DOGE Closure Of National Fire Academy In Emmitsburg, MD Alarms York County Fire Chiefs
-- Erie Times/Reuters: EPA To Roll Back Regulations On Power Plant Emissions, Tailpipe Pollution
-- Utility Dive: EPA Aims To Roll Back Power Sector Regulations In Broad Deregulatory Push
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: As Washington Unwinds Its Commitments, State And Local Governments Will Have To Step Up
-- Observer- Reporter: Project Aims To Increase Geothermal Energy Use In State [PDF of Article]
-- Pocono Record - Brian Whipkey: Trout Unlimited Officials Worry Over Potential Impacts From Reduced Federal Funding In PA [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Anti-Drilling Trout Unlimited Crying Over $180 Million In Frozen Federal Funds [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: NYMEX Natural Gas Price Hits 2-Year High Of $4.491/MMBtu [PDF of Article]
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: America Needs The Energy Pennsylvania Can Supply - By American Petroleum Institute
-- Financial Times: US DOE Secretary Says US Shale Can ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ At Low Oil, Gas Prices; Industry Says No
-- Reuters: President’s Tariffs On Steel, Aluminum To Raise Costs For US Oil, Gas Firms, Experts Say
[Posted: March 16, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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