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PUC Orders Shutdown Of Mariner East 1 Pipeline After Sinkholes Expose Bare Pipeline In Chester County

The Public Utility Commission late Wednesday issued an Emergency Order regarding Sunoco Pipeline L.P., also known as Energy Transfer Partners, to suspend operations of the Mariner East 1 Pipeline and require additional testing and analysis on that line, in response to safety concerns regarding the integrity of that pipeline.

According to a Petition for an Ex Parte Emergency Order filed by the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, engineers from the PUC’s Pipeline Safety Division investigated reports of the formation of sinkholes near the ME1, located along Lisa Drive in West Whiteland Township, Chester County.

ME1 is an eight-inch diameter Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) pipeline, used to transport liquid propane, butane and ethane. A total of three sinkholes have been discovered near, or in the path of, ME1.

The sinkholes are also near the area where construction, including Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), is underway for a new pipeline, known as Mariner East 2.

The Emergency Order requires the following:

-- Within 24 hours of the entry of this Order, Sunoco shall run at least one in line inspection tool through the Mariner East 1 Pipeline, inspecting the pipeline from a point at least 1 mile upstream from the Lisa Drive location to a point at least 1 mile downstream from Lisa Drive.

-- Within 12 hours of completing the inspection tool run Sunoco will suspend hazardous liquids transportation service on its Mariner East 1 pipeline for a period of time, presently estimated by BIE and Sunoco to be of 10-14 days duration (the “Study Period”), in order for Sunoco to perform the following:

-- Conduct geophysical testing and analyses (including at least the following: resistivity, seismic and gravity) in the HDD area described in the BIE Petition; and

-- Share all findings of the inspection tool run and geophysical testing with BIE/Pipeline Safety staff; and,

-- Meet and discuss the findings with BIE/Pipeline Safety staff, such discussions shall include, but not be limited to Sunoco’s addition of strain gauges to Mariner East 1 in the study area.

-- During the Study Period, Sunoco shall maintain sufficient minimum pressure in Mariner East 1 to avoid gasification of NGLs. However, the NGLs shall not be flowing during such period.

-- Sunoco will not reinstate hazardous liquids transportation service on Mariner East 1 until the earlier of the following:

-- Completion of the inspections and testing specified in the Commission’s Order, with any corrective actions taken, or planned to be taken, to the satisfaction of BIE/Pipeline Safety coupled with BIE/Pipeline Safety’s concurrence with reinstatement of transportation service on Mariner East 1, subject to Commission review and approval.

-- If BIE/Pipeline Safety does not concur with Sunoco’s request to resume service on ME1, Sunoco may file an Answer to the BIE Petition within 3 business days following notice of BIE’s noncurrence.

-- The Petition and Answer will be assigned for expedited hearing(s) before the Office of Administrative Law Judge;

-- Sunoco may not resume hazardous liquids transportation service on Mariner East 1 without prior Commission approval.

Click Here for a copy of the Emergency Order. Click Here for a copy of the request for an emergency order.

Reaction

“It appears that Sunoco was so rash in trying to rush through a second pipeline (Mariner East II) that now operations have been halted on its original pipeline (Mariner East I),” said Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester). “Basically, they have two pipelines and right now that can’t use either of them.”

“It’s a crying shame that a thorough geologic assessment related to the risk of putting another pipeline in this area was not completed in the first place. Obviously, it should have been,” said Sen. Dinniman. “Chairwoman Brown clearly wrote that without a clear analysis of the geology in this area, which is along a fault line, we could be at risk of a catastrophic event. We thank Chairwoman Brown and the PUC for doing this review and ordering the suspension.

“At the end of the day, after all we’ve been through on this project, how can anyone trust Sunoco? I will continue to work with the citizens to remain vigilant. We certainly are prepared to review, scrutinize, and question anything Sunoco says related to the required tests and analysis of the site,” he added.

For more information on the pipeline safety program, visit the PUC’s Pipeline Safety webpage.

NewsClips:

Mariner East 2 Protesters Rally At Scene Of Chester County Sinkholes

DEP Seeks Update Plan From Sunoco For Mariner East 2 Pipeline

Maykuth: PUC Orders Shutdown Of Mariner East 1 Pipeline After Sinkholes Expose Bare Pipeline Near Exton

Hurdle: PUC Shuts Down Mariner East 1 Pipeline Citing Public Safety Concerns Raised By Sinkholes

AP: PA Shuts Down Mariner East 1 Pipeline Over Sinkhole

Hurdle: Sinkholes, Sunoco’s Pipeline Inspection Stir Safety Fears In Chester County

Hurdle: Sinkholes In Chester County Prompt PUC To Ask For Mariner East 1 Pipeline Shutdown

Sinkholes Prompt PUC To Move To Stop Gas Flow On Sunoco Pipeline

West Whiteland Twp Chester County Battles Sinkholes Related To Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction

Chester County Residents Blame Sinkholes On Mariner East 2 Pipeline