Courier Times: Bucks County Residents, Sen. Santarsiero Say DEP Isn’t Doing Enough To Make Energy Transfer/Sunoco Define The Extent Of Petroleum Pipeline Leak And Clean It Up

The Courier Times reported on July 16, 2025, Upper Makefield Township residents and Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) said the Department of Environmental Protection is not doing enough to make Energy Transfer/Sunoco define the extent of a petroleum products pipeline leak and clean it up.

DEP officials agreed the pipeline company was not doing enough fast enough.

"They need to do better,” said David Brown, DEP Environmental Cleanup Manager. "The rate of work has been unsatisfying."

Residents also said Energy Transfer/Sunoco statements to DEP saying neighborhood residents were not giving their permission to locate wells on their property to recover leaked petroleum products were not accurate-- “nobody has been asked.”

DEP also reported “fairly elevated levels” of a chemical in recent vapor testing in homes -- 1,2-dichloroethene-- no longer used in fuel requires further investigation.

The comments were made during a July 15 Upper Makefield Township public meeting on the progress being made on the pipeline leak that contaminated private water wells in the Township..

In response to residents demanding that DEP modify its order or issue a new one that would force Energy Transfer and Sunoco to do more, Brown said that the agency wants to make requests instead of orders because the pipeline company can appeal formal orders, which would delay the process further.

But attendees questioned why DEP expects the company to comply with requests voluntarily, citing the slow progress on defining the leak, which residents and DEP officials said is crucial to moving forward with cleanup.

Energy Transfer was also criminally charged for repeatedly ignoring environmental regulations at a different site in 2022.

[Note: Energy Transfer/Sunoco has been charged with crimes and penalized more than $48.1 million for environmental and safety violations in Pennsylvania.  Read more here.]

"We are not dealing with a good actor here," said Sen. Santarsiero. "They have not done the right thing from day 1."

DEP still hasn't responded to a June letter from Santarsiero and state Rep. Perry Warren, (D-Bucks) of Newtown, asking DEP to take more enforcement actions, Sen. Santarsiero said.

"I'm irritated,” Sen. Santarsiero said. "There needs to be an enforcement action.”

Click Here to read the entire article [PDF of Article]

Upper Makefield Township typically makes videos of meetings available after they take place.  Click Here to check availability.

Visit DEP’s Upper Makefield Pipeline webpage for more information.  Questions about the pipeline response should be directed to: RA-EPUMPIPELINE@pa.gov. 

(Photo: DEP photo of Energy Transfer/Sunoco pipeline repair.)

Resource Links:

-- DEP: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak Investigation In Bucks County Expands To Delaware, Montgomery Counties; DEP, Dept. Of Health Briefing On State Response To Leak Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Updates Community On Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak Response In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County  [4.12.25]

-- Courier Times: PA State Attorney General Investigates Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leaks For Potential Environmental Crimes In Bucks County [Convicted Of Other Criminal Charges, Penalized Over $48.1 Million For Pipeline Violations So Far]   [PaEN]

-- 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 Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 12 to 18 - Uncontrolled Shale Gas Wastewater Release For 34 Hours; Abandoned Conventional Wells Top 300; 107 New Brownfield Sites  [PaEN] 

     -- DEP: Shale Gas Well Control Problem Caused Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater For Over 34 Hours At Repsol’s Broadleaf Holdings Well Pad In Troy Twp., Bradford County  [PaEN] 

     -- Courier Times: Bucks County Residents, Sen. Santarsiero Say DEP Isn’t Doing Enough To Make Energy Transfer/Sunoco Define The Extent Of Petroleum Pipeline Leak And Clean It Up  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 19 [PaEN]

     -- DEP Invites Comments On 4 Water Quality Permits For Texas Eastern Appalachia To Market 3 Natural Gas Pipeline Upgrade Project In Adams And York Counties  [PaEN]

     -- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets July 31 Hearing On Requests To Withdraw Millions Of Gallons Of Water Per Day, Including 11 For Shale Gas Development, 2 Gas Power Plants  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 19 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- List Of More Than $90 Billion In Energy, A.I. Data Center Investments, Commitments Or Plans Announced At The PA Energy & Innovation Summit [PaEN] 

-- NewsClips - PA Energy & A.I. Summit Pittsburgh July 15, 2025

-- PA Republican Lawmakers Rush To Introduce Bills To Give New Tax Breaks, Waive Regulations, Environmental Standards For A.I. Data Centers Already Flocking Into Pennsylvania And Locking Up PA Power  [PaEN] 

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy: What Wasn’t Discussed At Pennsylvania’s Energy & A.I. Summit - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow

-- Utility Dive: Bipartisan Group Of 9 Governors, Including Gov. Shapiro, Say PJM Interconnection Facing ‘Unprecedented Crisis Of Confidence’ And Want A Hand In Filling 2 Vacant Board Seats  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Health Project Releases Compounds Of Concern Online Tool To Help Frontline Residents Better Understand Health Symptoms Related To Chemicals In Industrial Pollution, Released By Oil & Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

-- Rise Of The Machines:  Senate, House Members Express Concern That Demand For Power To Run Computers Is Impacting The Price And Availability Of Electricity For ‘Ordinary People’  [5.12.25] 

-- US Dept. Of Energy Releases Report On Electric Grid Reliability, Security Saying Generation Growth Must Match Needs Of A.I. Data Centers;  But What About ‘Ordinary People’?   [7.8.25] 

-- PJM Interconnection Opens Next Electric Capacity Auction Bidding Window Of July 9 to 15 For 2026-27 Electric Delivery; Hold Your Breath!  [7.9.25]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For July 15; Natural Gas Accounted For Most Generation Outages In June Generation Alert  [PaEN]  

-- PJM Interconnection Extends Maximum Generation Alert To July 16; Natural Gas Accounted For Most Generation Outages In June Generation Alert [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 17 In Its Mid-Atlantic, Southern Regions, Including Parts Of PA  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Advocates Oppose Gov. Shapiro’s Attendance At Sen. McCormick's Energy, A.I. Summit Today In Pittsburgh  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Groups Rallying To Protect Delaware River Watershed From Shale Gas Fracking  [PaEN] 

-- Dept. Of Insurance/DEP Highlight 30 Years Of Underground Petroleum Products Storage Tank Insurance Fund Work; Paid Over $1.3 Billion To Clean Up Tank Leaks  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Stops In Potter County To Highlight Investment In Key Gas Station Near Northcentral Regional ATV Trail To Build Outdoor Recreation Economy  [Owner Failed To Comply With Storage Tank Regulations] 

-- EPA Is 'Clearing The Regulatory Path For America To Dominate The Global A.I. Revolution'  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Energy And Innovation Summit Is A Great Opportunity For Pittsburgh, But People Must Come First  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: $3.47 Million In Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants Announced To Lower Costs, Improve Air Quality; Deadline For New Applications Oct. 10  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 17, 2025]  PA Environment Digest