Upper Makefield Township supervisors have approved installation of two additional wells to recover jet fuel that leaked from an underground pipeline in the Mt. Eyre neighborhood, and are establishing ground rules for what will be a total of three wells working to clean up contamination of seven residential wells.
One recovery well already has been dug at a home on Spencer Road that was purchased for remediation by Energy Transfer, operator of the 105-mile-long Sunoco pipeline that runs from Delaware County to Newark, N.J.
The supervisors’ decision came at a recent public meeting – a meeting that saw a packed audience address many questions surrounding the crisis first reported Jan. 31. It was at that meeting that William Oetinger, township solicitor, said he was working with Energy Transfer to iron out public safety concerns surrounding recovery well installation. Work will take place 9 a m. – 5 p.m. weekdays, he said. With traffic controls and school district notification in place.
It’s uncertain when work will begin, said Oetinger.
It also was at that meeting that residents posed several questions about the recovery process, including about the existence of an emergency notification plan should one be needed during the recovery period, and about a continual-monitoring system on the pipeline.
“There’s just a lot of other things that are unknown at this time, and it feels like we’re rushing to do incremental things that maybe don’t solve the problem,” said Daniel LaHart, a resident who started a grassroots effort when the leak was detected.
A teletownhall meeting is set for May 29.
Under a May 2 consent order and agreement, Sunoco must submit to the U.S. Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration a “comprehensive plan” related to the recovery period. The order applies to the entire pipeline system “to ensure that the conditions leading to the leak do not exist anywhere else, and the line can operate safely,” according to PHMSA.
“Safety is PHMSA’s top priority, and leaks – while rare – should not go unnoticed on a well-maintained pipeline,” said Ben Kochman, PHMSA acting administrator. “Our investigation is ongoing, and multiple subject matter experts from out accident investigation and inspections teams are working to ensure that we understand what went wrong.”
Sunoco must verify the integrity of every Type A sleeve installed on the Twin Oaks pipeline to reinforce prior repairs to the pipeline, including at the site in Upper Makefield where the leak occurred, said PHMSA.
In addition, Sunoco must maintain a 20 percent pressure reduction on the Pipeline.
