Sink Holes Along Mariner East Pipeline are a Risk Now Taken More Seriously

PA-PUC sets investigation into shut-down Mariner East 1 pipeline

From an Article by Bill Rettew, Delaware County Daily Local News, January 27, 2019

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement , which includes the PUC’s Pipeline Safety Division, has launched an investigation including detailed geological surveys at the site of a sinkhole that developed last Sunday along the Mariner East right-of-way on Lisa Drive in West Whiteland.

The working Mariner East 1 pipeline was shut down statewide by the PUC within six hours and 44 miles of the pipe was purged. The investigation will “help engineers and geophysical consultants “get a better picture of what’s going on underground,” Nils Hagan-Frederiksen, PUC press secretary, said. “We’re actively monitoring what’s going on.”

“We’ll use the data to discuss the next steps.” Hagan-Frederiksen said the ME1 pipeline will remain shut down until I & E “says something different.”

Lisa Dillinger, Sunoco spokeswoman, responded on Friday. “We will continue to work alongside the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and its consultants to conduct geophysical testing to determine if additional work is necessary,” Dillinger wrote in an email. “This will include re-inspecting the section of the line at Lisa Drive. The Commission and its consultants remain on site with us every day and will continue to do so throughout this process.”

Geophysical surveys around the Lisa Drive site are scheduled to begin Saturday, and will be closely monitored by pipeline safety engineers from the PUC and geophysical consultants.

The testing, which will be used to evaluate underground conditions, is expected to take several days to complete. I&E pipeline safety engineers and geophysical consultants will be on-site monitoring the collection of geophysical data. Results of the testing will be shared with I&E’s engineers and I&E’s geophysical consultants for independent analysis and review.

Additionally, PUC engineers and geophysical consultants have been working with municipal officials and Sunoco to monitor and track storm water flow around the incident site, including investigation of storm drains in the area.

Analysis of testing results and information from the ongoing safety engineering investigation will be used by I&E as a basis for data-driven discussions about next steps at the Lisa Drive site, along with any other work that I&E believes is necessary.

Sunoco is not permitted to resume the transportation of product through ME1 until approval is received from I&E. The I&E pipeline safety engineers and geologists continue to monitor all work at the Lisa Drive site and remain in constant contact with Sunoco regarding their activities involving ME1.

As the independent investigation and enforcement bureau of the PUC, I&E has the authority to bring enforcement action, seek emergency orders from the Commission or take other steps to ensure public safety, should circumstances change or based on the finding of the investigation.

Sunoco /ETP released the following statement on Saturday: “Dear Neighbors: We would like to provide another update on the work related to addressing the subsidence feature on Lisa Drive that exposed our 8-inch Mariner East 1 pipeline. The Mariner East 1 pipeline that has a right-of-way in the corridor behind Lisa Drive is secure and the area is stable. Although there is no impact to the line, we took several precautionary actions as follows.

• The ME1 pipeline was shut down on January 20, 2019, and that section isolated by early January. 21, 2019.

• The subsidence was filled with specialized grouting to ensure it remains stable and this work is complete. Restoration will begin once geophysical testing and the investigation is complete.

• The pipeline was completely purged of product within the 44-mile section that begins at our facility in Beckersville, Berks County to Marcus Hook, Delaware County as of January 24, 2019. To purge the section, we filled the pipe with nitrogen and then flared the product (burning it into the atmosphere) from relief valves at our Beckersville and Marcus Hook facilities.

• The line remains filled with nitrogen as a safety measure to protect the inside walls from moisture or other corrosives, and to demonstrate complete displacement of the product.”

“We will continue to work alongside the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and its consultants to conduct geophysical testing to determine if additional work is necessary. This will include re-inspecting the section of the line at Lisa Drive. The Commission and its consultants remain on-site with us every day and will continue to do so throughout this process.

During this time, there will be pipeline crews in the area pipeline crews performing maintenance activities, and assigned individuals monitoring the security of the work area on a 24/7 basis. We thank you for your understanding as we complete the work on Lisa Drive. This will be the final letter handed out manually; however, you can visit our project website at marinerpipelinefacts.com for additional updates as more information becomes available. If you have any questions, please call 800-786-2255. Regards, Matthew Gordon Senior Director Pipeline Operations.”

The following statement was attributed to Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety:

“PUC’s not-so-independent contractor, ARM Group, (a science and engineering consulting firm) is a member of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, just like Sunoco and Energy Transfer Partners. PUC’s hiring of ARM Group to investigate Sunoco is like asking the fox to watch the hen house.”

“In fact, a new sinkhole opened up in the exact area previously assessed by ARM Group and determined to be stable by the PUC. Del-Chesco United echoes the calls of Sen. Dinniman and Rep. Comitta for an immediate halt to operations on Sunoco’s ancient and leaky 12-inch workaround pipeline, as well as a full and independent review of the flawed oversight operations of both the PUC and the DEP.”