The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the jet fuel pipeline leak that contaminated private wells in Upper Makefield Township.
Brett Hambright, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, told NewtownPANow.com that the criminal investigation is being handled by the office’s environmental crimes section.
A request for comment to Energy Transfer, the pipeline owner and operator, were not returned.
The investigation follows the discovery of a leak from Energy Transfer’s 14-inch Twin Oaks pipeline earlier this year.
The leak contaminated at least six private wells in the Mount Eyre neighborhood near the pipeline.
The leak has been traced to a 2.5-inch crack and has prompted widespread concern.
In 2022, Energy Transfer was convicted of criminal charges related to pipeline construction after an investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The case was not tied to the pipeline section in Bucks County.
The conviction led to the company being forced to help residents impacted by the construction and a $10 million payment towards water projects along the routes of two pipelines, according to a statement from prosecutors at the time.
According to a grand jury presentment, the company let thousands of gallons of drilling fluid escape, used unapproved additives to drilling fluid, caused an explosion, and failed to take steps to stop erosion, leading to landslides.
Energy Transfer is set to begin drilling two recovery wells at a property it purchased on Spencer Road on Tuesday. The drilling is expected to be completed by Friday, March 21.
The recovery wells are designed to remove petroleum from the groundwater.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered Energy Transfer to install point-of-entry water treatment systems in over 100 homes.
While 42 residences have received these systems, six have shown contamination levels exceeding drinking water standards, officials have said.
DEP officials have stated the cleanup process is expected to take years.
Residents and local officials have repeatedly criticized Energy Transfer’s response and have alleged the pipeline may have been leaking for 16 months. The residents point to reports of fuel smells dating back to September 2023, and that the last crack detection tool inspection was in 2017, with an inline inspection performed in 2022.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, and other state and local officials have called for a complete shutdown of the 105-mile pipeline during the investigation. Gov. Josh Shapiro has requested the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to hold Energy Transfer accountable.
PHMSA has attributed the leak to a faulty sleeve installed in 1995.
Residents of the Mount Eyre neighborhood are demanding clean water, transparent information, thorough monitoring, soil remediation, health monitoring, and compensation for damages.
Past reporting on the pipeline leak:
- Drilling Set For Recovery Wells At Upper Makefield Fuel Spill Cleanup
- Water Company Says No Jet Fuel Contamination In Nearby Well
- State Orders Energy Transfer To Provide Clean Water After Pipeline Leak
- Upper Makefield Officials, Residents: ‘Shut Down The Pipeline’
- Residents, Officials Fear Wider Contamination From Upper Makefield Pipeline Leak
- Faulty Pipeline Sleeve Blamed For Upper Makefield Fuel Leak
- No Evidence Of Other Fuel Pipeline Leaks, Company Says
- Jet Fuel Leak Taints Upper Makefield Wells
Advertisement
Convenient Legal Access to High Quality Cannabis Just A Few Minutes Away!
