Mariner East 1 Pipeline Shut Down In Chester County

Sunoco's Mariner East 1 pipeline was shut down by emergency order of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Wednesday over safety concerns related to a rash of recent sinkholes in Chester County.

Lawmakers and activists say that the sinkholes are related to drilling which Sunoco is doing in the area for the controversial - and still under construction - Mariner East 2 pipeline.

Mariner East 1 carries liquid propane, butane, and ethane to Marcus Hook on the Delaware River.

Three sinkholes were recently discovered along Lisa Drive in West Whiteland, "on or near" the path of both Mariner 1 and the construction for Mariner 2, according to the PUC.

PUC issued an emergency order which requires Sunoco to immediately suspend operations and conduct various geophysical testing to determine the safety and integrity of Mariner 1. The testing period must be at least 10 days, officials said.

State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) has been advocating for an investigation of Sunoco related to the sinkholes, launching petitions and urging PUC to shut down Mariner 1. He calls the pipeline a hazard to the residents and infrastructure of the area.

"We can't afford to wait on this," he said Thursday, shortly before PUC's order. "While our frustration with the litany of failures on this project is immense, (PUC's findings) affirm what we have been saying for more than two years regarding pipeline construction in a geologically questionable and high-density area that includes homes, schools, senior living facilities, parks, and a library."

Jeff Shields, a spokesperson with Energy Transfer Partners, said that they will take the PUC-mandated steps to"reaffirm for regulators" the safety of Mariner 1, including running an inline inspection tool to judge the integrity of the pipeline, suspend operations for the 10-14 day test period, and sharing test findings with PUC.

"This period should allow us to share what our professional geologist has established to date -- that the Mariner East 1 pipeline is stable, is located in suitably safe geology, and will continue to operate safely as it has done for decades," Shields said. "The safe operation of our pipelines is of critical importance to us, and we believe the study period will reaffirm the safety of the pipeline."

In recommending the shutdown, officers with PUC acknowledged the potential threat to public safety.

“By failing to immediately suspend operations on ME1 (Mariner East I) pending review of the integrity steps conducted by Sunoco, the safety of the public would be jeopardized," PUC investigators said in a statement. "The pipeline in question transmits hazardous liquids in densely populated areas defined by PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) as High Consequence Areas. Needless to say, any compromise or failure of the pipeline would have dire results, and the injuries resulted therefrom would most certainly be irreparable."

Dinniman was at Lisa Drive in West Whiteland on Thursday, where he said that Sunoco called the police on him for trespassing.

Patch file photo