Energy Transfer penalized $30M for pipeline explosion
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Energy Transfer Corp. will have to pay a $30.6 million penalty for an early morning landslide and pipeline explosion in a Beaver County neighborhood in September 2018, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Energy Transfer will also be able to resume getting environmental permits in light of an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP stopped issuing new permits in February because Energy Transfer kept violating environmental rules while trying to stabilize soil around the ruptured Revolution pipeline and along the right of way for its major Mariner East natural gas liquids pipelines.
Now that the suspension is lifted the company may move forward with several big pipeline projects.
Learn more: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette > Energy Transfer given $30M penalty for Beaver County pipeline explosion
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.