Pennsylvania imposes $2mn fine for 2018 pipeline failure
A civil penalty of nearly $2mn was imposed for the “massive” failure of a 24-inch natural gas pipeline in 2018, a state regulator in Pennsylvania announced November 18.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) “approved a settlement related to a massive pipeline failure and fire” on the 24-inch diameter Revolution natural gas pipeline.
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“That incident released more than 3mn ft3 of natural gas and caused a fire that burned for several hours – destroying a nearby home and garage, damaging several electric transmission lines and towers in the area, and burning several acres of surrounding woodland,” the PUC stated.
Apart from a civil penalty, the settlement with a unit of Energy Transfer calls for in-line inspections on the line and quality assurance measures for all of the company’s gas and hazardous liquids pipelines in Pennsylvania.
Separately, the state attorney general in Pennsylvania in October charged Energy Transfer with 48 counts of environmental crimes related to its Mariner East 2 natural gas pipeline.
The pipeline crosses 17 counties in southern Pennsylvania. The state estimates that more than 80,000 gallons of contaminated fluid were released in and around area waterways during construction between 2017-2020.
Energy Transfer, however, failed to report several of the releases despite a legal requirement to do so.
The company had no public comment on the latest charges from Pennsylvania.