Mariner East 2 violations cost Sunoco $497K
Thursday, March 4, 2021
As part of a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection consent order and agreement issued Feb. 25, Sunoco Pipeline will have to pay $497,000 for violations connected to the Mariner East 2 pipeline project, according to Farm and Dairy.
The company’s infractions include spills of drilling fluids into Snitz Creek in Lebanon County, Pa., and failure to notify the DEP of multiple losses of circulation — when drilling fluids escape and don’t return to the surface, according to a DEP release.
Sunoco didn’t report 32 losses of circulation between May 21 and Aug. 13, 2020. However, it did report a dozen spilled between Sept. 17 and Oct. 19, 2020. The Snitz Creek on Oct. 19 distributed fluids to 20 different places.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Sunoco pays $497,000 to Pa. DEP for Mariner East 2 pipeline violations
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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.