HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection announced that Sunoco Pipeline L.P. has agreed to pay $660,000 to resolve numerous violations of the Clean Streams Law and the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act that arose during its construction of the Mariner East II pipeline between 2018 and 2021.
The violations occurred along the pipeline's route in Chester, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Perry, and York Counties, DEP said in a press release.
The settlements resolve Sunoco's civil penalty liability for violations that Sunoco has not previously paid a civil penalty through a prior consent order and agreement, DEP said.
"Under Governor Shapiro's leadership, we will continue to hold companies accountable for their actions and protect Pennsylvanians' constitutional right to clean air and water. This money will help the Department of Environmental Protection keep Pennsylvania's water clean," said Richard Negrin, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. "This is a critical step forward in the Shapiro Administration's continued commitment to delivering a clean water supply to every resident and business who calls Pennsylvania home."
The first agreement resolves civil penalty liability for numerous infractions at the Exton Library Site in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, DEP said. These violations included: unpermitted discharges of sediment into wetlands and into Valley Creek and Ship Road Run, accelerated erosion and sedimentation, failure to obtain permits prior to excavating, and placing concrete into wetlands and other Commonwealth waters on several occasions.
Sunoco also failed to conduct sampling as required by the terms of its authorization and failed to take appropriate measures to prevent the release of a polluting substance, according to DEP.
The second agreement resolves civil penalty liability for various violations in:
- Cumru Township, Berks County
- Blair Township, Blair County
- Jackson Township, Cambria County
- Upper Uwchlan and West Whiteland Townships, Chester County
- Middlesex and Silver Spring Townships, Cumberland County
- Middletown and Thornbury Townships, Delaware County
- Toboyne Township, Perry County
- Fairview Township, York County
Sunoco's Horizontal Directional Drilling construction activities led to complaints of impacts to private well water supplies with cloudy, turbid, and discolored water, and impacts to wetlands and other Commonwealth waters through the unpermitted discharge of grout, flowable fill material, and drilling fluids, DEP said.
Sunoco also constructed an impoundment and swales without a permit, according to DEP.
The $660,000 in penalties paid to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from the two agreements will be allocated as follows:
From the first agreement:
- $240,000 to the Clean Water Fund
- $149,400 to the Dams and Encroachments Fund
- $600 to the Chester County Conservation District
From the second agreement:
- $153,850 to the Clean Water Fund
- $115,000 to the Dams and Encroachments Fund
- $1,150 to the Chester County Conservation District
