DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. – A $1.95 million civil penalty has been issued Thursday from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Sunoco Pipeline has violations from construction activities on the Mariner East 2 pipeline project at Raystown Lake in Penn Township and Huntingdon County.
“Sunoco’s drilling activities resulted in the release of drilling fluids to the bottom of Raystown Lake. In numerous cases, the company failed to immediately report those releases,” according to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “In addition to a financial penalty, we are also ordering Sunoco to undertake a number of environmental projects to improve the aquatic habitat in Raystown Lake.”
Between April and December 2017, Sunoco failed to immediately report losses of circulation compromising three million gallons of drilling fluid during horizontal directional drilling activities, the DEP says.
More than 208,000 gallons of drilling fluids surfaced, covering approximately eight acres of the late bottom.
Unauthorized discharges of drilling fluids violate the state’s Clean Streams Law and Dam Safety and Encroachments Act. Sunoco’s permits requires them to file all losses of circulation immediately, the DEP says.
Sunoco must now implement a fish habitat improvement plan.
