Pipeline firms plagued by accidents, fines

HARRISBURG >> While having success in court, it’s been a rough week in the field for Pennsylvania pipeline companies, with six injuries and recommended fines.

Six pipeline employees were injured, in two separate accidents, and the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement recommended that Sunoco pay a $225,000 fine.

A fire broke out Thursday night at parent company Marathon Petroleum’s MarkWest natural gas processing plant in Washington County, injuring four workers.

The fire broke out in a tank holding 200 barrels of liquid Ethylene Glycol, plus hydrocarbons.

In addition, two workers were sent to the hospital following an accident during testing of the Mariner East pipeline site in Westmoreland County.

George Alexander, spokesperson for Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety said that this was at least the third accident on the Mariner East 1 line in less than a year.

Mariner East 1 is an older, smaller pipeline that is already in use carrying ethane, butane and propane from the Marcellus Shale regions to Marcus Hook. Mariner East 2 will utilize a larger, 20-inch pipe, except in spots that have been delayed by work stoppages and other problems. In those areas, Sunoco is planning to use another old, smaller pipeline to fill in the gaps.

Opponents have questioned the safety of the move. Sunoco says the old lines have been tested and prove safe.

Sunoco ‘tested’ the pipeline multiple ways — right before it failed,” Alexander said. “And, as usual, Sunoco failed to detect that a leak was occurring, so we still don’t know how long it had been leaking, or how much explosive material was released.”

Alexander said that Sunoco’s Mariner East is playing a statewide game of “Russian roulette.”

“It is also noteworthy that Sunoco is being required to specify a retirement date for this ancient, accident-prone pipeline, which dates from the 1930s,” Alexander said. “We think it should have been retired long ago.”

The Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline runs through Tom Casey’s Boot Road property.

“Now ask yourself, ‘should anyone trust in what this company is reporting?’” Casey said. “More

importantly, should any reports which boast about the safety of the Mariner East project be believed?

“Added to this, we now have regulators, school boards, emergency services, and the Chester County commissioners raising the alarm. When is enough enough PUC, or better yet, Governor Wolf? The health, safety, and welfare of every Pennsylvanian is at stake. Please don’t screw it up!”

The proposed $225,000 fine will need to be ratified by the PUC.

The suggested action stems from an April 1, 2017, leak in Morgantown, Berks County. Sunoco said that 20 barrels, or just less than 1,000 gallons of highly volatile liquids, escaped during the leak.

Sunoco reported that since 2006, there have been 305 pipeline leaks. Forty two percent, or 129 leaks, were attributed to pipeline corrosion.

State Sen. Andy Dinniman,

D-19, has become a vocal opponent of pipelines. He released the following statement, Friday afternoon:

“The PUC complaint supports what we’ve been saying all along – Sunoco is not doing enough to protect the public from the very real and very serious dangers of moving highlyvolatile natural gas liquids in decades-old pipelines. The PUC claims that Sunoco’s corrosion testing on its own pipelines failed to detect potential problems and leaks. It seems that the company is either unwilling or unable to adequately determine which segments of pipeline are safe. Remember, we’ve had very similar concerns and outstanding questions regarding pipeline integrity and hydrostatistic testing on Mariner East here in Chester County. Meanwhile, the recent accidents and an explosion yesterday in Washington County and in Beaver County last September further drive home the point that safety concerns on this pipeline project should not be taken lightly.”