Hazardous Cleanup Spill Bill By Bucks Co. Lawmaker Advances

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA — A spill bill sponsored by State Rep. Perry Warren that would strengthen the state's response to hazardous substance releases is advancing.

Warren said his legislation has moved out of the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee.

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House Bill 2178, also known as the Environmental Clean Up and Responsibility Act, would require immediate action when hazardous substances are released, including mandatory containment, investigation, and cleanup.

The text of the legislation was drafted by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who introduced the companion bill in the Senate, S.B. 1157.

House Bill 2178 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“These gaps in cleanup standards undermine public confidence, threaten public health, and delay protections for our communities,” Warren said. “House Bill 2178 ensures that when hazardous substances spill, there will be no delay in action and no ambiguity in responsibility. It requires swift containment, thorough investigation, and complete cleanup, while holding polluters — not taxpayers — accountable. Further, the existence of clearly defined cleanup standards and responsibility will incentivize companies to prevent spills before they happen.”

The bill is rooted in the ongoing experience of residents in Upper Makefield Township, where private residential wells were contaminated by a leak from an interstate pipeline transporting jet fuel from Delaware County to Newark, N.J.

A resident first detected a fuel smell in their drinking water more than two years ago, but the leak was not acknowledged by the pipeline operator until January 2025.

Federal and state agencies, local officials, and the pipeline’s corporate operator have responded.

However, in the absence of clear statutory timelines, guidance and cleanup requirements, much of the contaminated fuel remains in the ground, and water and soil have not been fully remediated.

Pennsylvania currently relies on two primary cleanup statutes: the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act and the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act.

Neither law was designed to address active spills, pipeline leaks or emergency situations where contamination poses an immediate threat to residents.

Warren represents the 31st Legislative District in Bucks County, which includes Lower Makefield, Newtown Borough, Newtown Township, Upper Makefield, and Yardley.