New Sinkhole Opens Up Along Mariner East 1 In Chester County

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Yet another sinkhole has opened up along the Mariner East 1 pipeline funneling natural gas through Chester County, causing it to shut down. The sinkhole is in the same area that lawmakers noted safety concerns last summer, before the pipeline was allowed to continue operations.

This episode occurred on Sunday in West Whiteland Township on Lisa Drive.

Its the latest incident connected to the controversial pipeline, which, along with Sunoco's other constrction that runs through Chester County, has led to bipartisan calls for greater oversight and fueled a criminal investigation into Sunoco.

Authorities said in a statement on Monady evening that the area is "secure and stable."

State Sen. Andy Dinniman, who introduced pipeline safety legislation earlier this month, said that this incident happened in the same area which he asked the Pennsylvania Utility Commission (PUC) to shut down last year.

"Last night, as I met with residents on Lisa Drive to see the site of the latest sinkhole for myself, I couldn’t help but wonder how we could have any confidence whatsoever left in the PUC when it comes to the safety of this pipeline," Dinniman said on Monday, citing the PUC's 3-2 decision to allow the pipeline to continue to operate last summer.

He added that the judge in the case, Elizabeth Barnes, agreed. "I believe given the release and accident history of Sunoco, there is a grave risk to the rupture of Mariner East 1," Barnes wrote in her opinion.

The latest incident has no impact on the nearby Mariner East 2 pipeline, officials said.

Sunoco will "purge" Mariner East 1 of product in the area of the recent episode, and the sinkhole — called a subsidence — will be filled.

Further geophysical testing will be performed to determine the area's safety, officials said. They added that crews will monitor the pipeline's right of ways in the area.

Dinniman called for a shutdown of the pipeline until an independent review of both Sunoco and PUC was completed, pointing to a broken regulatory process as the key issue.

"We said from day one that this is a geologically questionable area where pipelines shouldn’t be placed," he added. "How many more sinkholes and exposed pipelines will there be? How many times will the safety of our residents and communities be jeopardized before we pull the plug on this project? And how many times is this company is going to be permitted to risk a potentially life-threatening catastrophe before something goes seriously and tragically wrong?"

See our full coverage of the Mariner East saga in Chester County below:

• Pipeline Worker's Comments To Chester Co. Resident Investigated
• New Legislation Aims To Improve Pipeline Safety Near Schools
• Criminal Investigation Opened Into Sunoco, Chester Co. Pipelines
• Funded By Sunoco Fine, Chesco Gets $1.8 Million For Conservation
• Sunoco Fined $12.6 Million For Mariner East 2 Violations
• Lawmakers Seek To Halt Drilling After More Sunoco Spills In Chester Co.
• Battle Against Sunoco Pipeline Is David v. Goliath, Lawmaker Says
• Mariner East 1 Pipeline Shut Down In Chester County

Patch file photo