Dinniman accuses Sunoco of botching pipeline work

WEST CHESTER >> State and federal authorities did not properly examine a potential leak during a recent test on Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline project in West Whiteland Township, state Sen. Andy Dinniman said.

“Just when you think it can’t get any worse, we have another textbook example of the bumbling failure of government oversight on something as vitally important as potential leaks in a hazardous materials pipeline,” Dinniman, D-19, who serves on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said. “Keep in mind, this comes right around the

same time as a pipeline explosion in Beaver County.

“And by the way, we’re still waiting on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for straight answers and the results of an investigation into that disaster.”

Following hydrostatic testing of Sunoco’s 12inch pipeline last month, a homeowner on Shoen Road notified both Sunoco and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) of the presence of a “fluorescent green-yellow” coloring in groundwater on her property,” Dinniman said.

A hydrostatic test is a way to test pipelines for strength and leaks. It involves filling the pipe system with a liquid, usually water, which is dyed to aid in visual leak detection, and pressurization of the vessel

to the specified test pressure.

In this case, the homeowner noticed an apparent brightly-colored substance – indicating a potential leak in the pipe – in groundwater emerging on her property and immediately notified authorities,” Dinniman said.

Sunoco spokesperson Lisa Dillinger disagreed with Dinniman.

“Senator Dinniman is incorrect,” Dillinger said. “We did conduct a hydrotest on the 12 in line which confirmed the line’s integrity.

“You can confirm this with the PUC.”

Dillinger said Sunoco investigateg the area reported by the resident.

“Our team, which included an environmental specialist, confirmed that anything else going on at her location is not related to our pipeline or our operations,” she said.

Dinniman noted: “However, from there, things –

like the water that appeared in her yard – get murky. According to email correspondence:

• Sunoco representatives insist that the hydrostatic test determined no leaks and initially try to chalk up the “green-yellow” coloring to algae.

• However, a federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) liaison confirms that Sunoco was, in fact, using fluorescent green-yellow dye in the hydrostatic testing of the 12-inch line.

• Still, Sunoco insists the test determined no leaks.

• Then PHMSA and PUC officials are, at first, led to believe the groundwater in question was tested and produced a negative result for dye/tracer contamination.

• Yet, later, after persistent questioning, PHMSA confirmed that the groundwater itself was not tested to determine if the coloration was due to potential

leak. According to an email from a PHMS liaison, ‘No sample was taken.’”

Dinniman said the situation was the same one that has played out time and time again on the Mariner East Pipeline project.

“Literally, every time problems have occurred on Mariner East it seems like residents are the ones who detect them and notify our government agencies,” Dinniman said. “They’re the real watchdogs.

“And the initial response of our government agencies is almost always to blindly take Sunoco’s word and make a vague declaration that ‘all is well.’ But when we press for clarity, documentation, and evidence, the truth comes out one way or another. Usually, it leads to a reversal in the original assessment and a revelation that nothing has been done despite the very real potential of a catastrophic risk to public safety.”

In response, Dinniman requested that the PUC require Sunoco to:

1. Again conduct hydrostatic testing of the 12-inch pipeline in Chester and Delaware Counties.

2. Notify property owners, school districts, libraries, and businesses along the pipeline route so that they can properly recognize changes in groundwater conditions related to hydrostatic failures.

3. Require that if any increased groundwater containing coloration tracing associated with the hydrostatic testing occurs, this groundwater be tested to determine any association with pipeline failure.

Dinniman also pointed out that the Shoen Road area is known to have potentially problematic geologic formations, including faults, as it is where an aquifer was damaged and multiple residential wells negatively impacted by Sunoco’s drilling operations last summer.

In addition, the 12-inch pipeline has a long history of leaks, including 33,516 gallons of gasoline as recently as mid-June of this year, a 2015 leak in Edgemont Township (Delaware County), and 70,000 gallons leaked in West Whiteland Township in 1987 that remains to be completely remediated.

“Frankly, you have to wonder how safe this pipeline is and worry how long this can go on before someone gets hurt or worse,”

Dinniman said. “The PUC is the state agency charged with pipeline safety in Pennsylvania.

“There are numerous examples of it falling short on this project. If it cannot fulfill its legal and moral obligation to keep our residents, children, families, and communities safe, it’s time to rethink its role and how it operates.”

Sunoco is about two years behind schedule. Dillinger did not set a new completion date.

“(Mariner East 2) is not in service at this time due to regulatory issues we continue to work through,” Dillinger said. “These issues have slowed our construction in a few areas along the route.

“We will put the line in service once it is mechanically complete.”

When asked whether Sunoco had ceased construction in Chester and Delaware counties, she said, “This is not true.”

“We plan to use a section of our 12” line that runs through Chester and Delaware counties as a temporary solution while we continue construction on ME2 in these areas,” Dillinger said about connecting the unbuilt sections in Chester and Delaware counties.