Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Pipeline ‘backfire’ rattles West Goshen
Incident at Sunoco Boot Road Station shakes homes up to a mile and a half away
A loud pipeline-related boom originating from the Sunoco Boot Road Station shook houses, rattled windows and knocked framed art off walls for up to a mile and half away, at about 8:20 p.m., Monday night.
No injuries or significant property damage were reported.
Sunoco/Energy Transfer spokesperson Lisa Coleman said the incident was related to the now-operating, partly 1930s-era Sunoco Mariner East pipeline.
“During routine maintenance this evening at our Boot Station in West Goshen Township, there was a backfire on a flare at approximately 8:20 p.m. ET as the station was brought back online,” Coleman wrote. “This resulted in a loud noise, similar to a car backfiring.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to our neighbors.”
Amanda Gorgueiro, an Energy Transfer spokesperson responded to a second request for information.
“Mariner East 1 was not impacted. Mariner East 2 was down due to the planned maintenance work. At no time was anyone in the surrounding area at risk. Also, there were no liquids released. Per our first statement, this occurred
at a flare stack.”
Residents gathered outside after the boom and discussed what many referred to as an explosion.
Resident Keith Ackers and several others talked about the official response: “The boom was alarming, but not as alarming as the fact that the first responders had no idea how to react and weren’t shy about telling us that. A police officer drove down our street asking us what we knew about the noise, but when we asked if he had checked out the Sunoco area he told us he was unwilling to go over there because he wasn’t sure if it was safe.
“A neighbor told me she had asked if we should evacuate the area, and the police dispatcher’s response was ‘I have no idea.’ If they’re going to force this stuff through our community, you would think they would at the very least have a cohesive emergency response plan for situations like this.”
The Mariner East Pipeline Project, which consists of several pipelines, runs through West Goshen resident Tom Casey’s property along Boot Road.
“This was a small, very small, example of the bigger problem for everyone along the pipeline route,” Casey said. “More worries, more problems, and no good answers. We need a plan from everyone that has our safety in their hands.
“Three weeks ago, at my job we had a false alarm, a fire truck and two emergency vehicles arrived. Last night, one hour after the incident, there were no responding fire personnel, no county EM personnel to guarantee the facility was safe, and the lights were out by 9:15.
“Stop the jurisdictional match from municipal and county personnel. Stop blaming your silence on pending litigation! Stop following a nonsensical settlement agreement! Stop treating people in the community as just another nuisance! We are growing tired of it all.
“You can’t have it both ways; just like we can’t have our homes and feel safe in them!
Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety released the following statement on Tuesday:
“Pending the release of more information about Sunoco’s accident in West Goshen Township last night, we know at this point that there was a release of hazardous, highly volatile liquids. These heavier-than-air combustible vapors ignited, causing an explosion that rocked houses to a distance of at least onehalf mile (an area of about three-quarters of a square mile). And no one knew what action to take. This accident is stark confirmation of what DCU has been pointing out: no one, neither our first-responders nor area residents, are prepared for even this ‘dry run’ of a regional catastrophe. As Delaware County Council unanimously recognized in June, it’s time for an immediate moratorium on this reckless project.”
The Chester County Department of Emergency Services released the following statement: Beginning at 8:01 p.m. on August 5th, the county received four 911 calls for reports of an explosion and immediately dispatched West Goshen police to the area of the reports. Police investigated and within minutes reported back that there was no threat to public safety. Following the police investigation report, a representative from Energy Transfer contacted the Chester County Department of Emergency Services and provided an overview of the incident. Energy Transfer confirmed that there was an incident at the Boot Road Pump Station that created a loud noise and that there was no release of gas or emergency.
“Chester County Department of Emergency Services ensured that Energy Transfer was issuing a public statement noting the event, and worked with the company to share the message.
“Our emergency management practices always include reviews of potential or real emergency incidents to build upon and refine emergency response procedures. We have sent a list of questions to Energy Transfer asking for immediate answers on exactly what and why last night’s incident happened, how often it could happen and how we can expedite the emergency communication process.”
State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19 of West Whiteland, perhaps the leading pipeline opponent in the Legislature, clearly was not satisfied with Energy Transfer’s explanation.
“Obviously, something strong enough to shake homes deserves a stronger and clearer response from both Sunoco and our emergency services,” he said. “This is yet another example of the lack of communication regarding Mariner East and the ongoing confusion as to who is in charge of emergency planning, management, and response efforts.
“The fundamental question here is: if something had gone tragically wrong, what was the emergency management plan? I am not sure there is one. If the pipeline companies only give us cursory information and spin, how are our emergency services supposed to adequately respond when lives are at stake?”
Melissa Di Bernardino lives in East Goshen Township and her children attend school in West Goshen.
“Mariner 1 has been shut down and restarted at least three times now and has never resulted in what people heard and felt Monday night,” she wrote. “There is nothing ‘routine’ about the incident.
“The response has further highlighted that we are not prepared in any way to have such an inherently dangerous, unmitigated and unplanned for hazard here. Every single elected and appointed official and agency should be demanding that Governor Wolf shuts the construction and operations of the Mariner East Pipeline Project down.
“We’ve had more than enough warnings and our luck may run out.”
Caroline Hughes lives near the Mariner East pipeline.
“Last night, while driving home from work, I heard a loud boom that I initially thought was a motor vehicle accident that had just happened not far from me,” Hughes wrote Tuesday. “Immediately after that, I started receiving texts from friends and neighbors, saying that their house shook from the explosion, including my husband, who was at our home.
“When I called Sunoco’s emergency response line, the operator was rude and annoyed, noting that it was routine maintenance, and echoed what others were told about a car backfiring.
“Once again, the residents are left to find answers, confusion remains about what to do in terms of evacuation, and no information given regarding if the area and situation has been stabilized because the operator chooses to essentially say ‘nothing to see here.’
“The station is covered with vehicles today. If it was so routine, why the large response? I don’t want to be alarmist, but what happened last night was alarming for sure. If it was nothing to be concerned about, then they shouldn’t be afraid to be honest.”
Food and Water Watch organizer Sam Rubin commented:
“Let us call a spade a spade: There was a release, ignition and detonation along the Mariner East pipeline system last night. Sunoco’s Mariner East detonation revealed failures in the emergency preparedness protocols and systems that are supposed to protect communities along the path of Sunoco’s dangerous pipeline. Last night’s failure is a terrifying reminder that we are totally unprepared for any larger emergency connected to the Mariner East pipelines. Gov. Wolf needs to halt this project now.”
Mike Morelli lives close by the site.
“We have been fighting this pipeline for five years now and feel completely unsafe anymore,” he said. “I am currently disabled and can’t run a half-mile upwind, like Sunoco had suggested once upon a time, if the need arises to evacuate.
“Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners are not forthcoming with information and there is no safety plan for instances like this. Error after error has happened, and yet they still build and destroy our community. My family, as well as all of our neighbors were shaken, both literally and figuratively, by this.
“We don’t know what to do anymore, and those in power do nothing to quell our fears, only intensify them. Shame on Sunoco and shame on our elected officials for allowing this extremely hazardous pipeline to come through our densely populated community!”
West Goshen resident Michele Ruhl called to report the boom.
“At 7:54 p.m. a loud boom (similar to a sonic boom) was heard and my entire house shook aggressively for about 6-7 seconds. My son ran down the stairs and we both ran out of the house thinking our 5-story oak had fallen onto our roof. House appeared fine. I called a neighbor and confirmed they experienced the same thing and that they called police.
“I also called 911 at approximately 8 p.m. to report what just happened and she asked what my emergency was. I indicated ‘I didn’t know,’ explained the ‘events,’ and informed her that I live right near the Sunoco station/pipeline and asked her if I should ‘be leaving.’ She said she ‘didn’t know.’ She also indicated that she had received one other call and that police were dispatched to the area. And that was it … she had no further info or directive and we hung up. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I should have been using my phone?
“However, prior to this, I had noted what I am calling a ‘grill or gas’ smell for approximately 1 ½ hours (noticed initially between 6-6:30 p.m.) prior to the ‘event’. At first, I thought the smell was someone grilling, but around 7:30 p.m. I remember thinking to myself ‘aren’t they finished cooking yet?’ I had my front door and garage door open, as well as, I had been sitting on my back patio at times during this period. Immediately following the ‘explosion,’ the smell dissipated which I now infer was connected to the Sunoco site. Oddly, following the explosion, I had experienced a period of coughing with a slight burning in my chest for 15-20 minutes or so. At this point, I was at a neighbor’s home and had communicated this to them asking if they were experiencing the same, but they were not. However, their dog who was outside before the explosion was now panting heavily. So not sure if connected - it’s just suspect.”
Kelly Cifone lives near Greenhill and Ashbridge streets and commented, “I heard it clear as a bell and it sounded exactly like an explosion. I have lived here since 1994. I have never heard a noise that loud. This is enough!”
When asked in an email if a pilot light spark caused a backfire, and if it’s a common occurrence, Sunoco/ Energy Transfer spokesperson Lisa Dillinger replied, “yes.”
Dillinger replied “no” when asked if HVLs leaked in West Goshen and if anyone was injured.
She replied “yes” when asked if the pipeline was still running.
She also said, “Our team was on-site when the incident occurred.”
The PUC and DEP did not immediately respond for comment.