Pennsylvania issues $85,000 penalty over Mariner East 2 pipeline construction violations
(The Center Square) – Sunoco Pipeline LP received an $85,000 penalty from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for violations relating to construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline in Blair, Cumberland, Juniata and Lebanon counties.
The violations, which took place between February and August 2020, resulted in unauthorized discharges of drilling fluids consisting of bentonite clay and water, also known as inadvertent returns, to wetlands in those four counties.
Sunoco has agreed to pay the civil penalty of $85,666 to the commonwealth, with $84,500 to be paid to the state’s Clean Water Fund and $1,166 to be paid to the county conservation districts to reimburse for costs incurred during the investigation. In addition, Sunoco will also pay $12,424 to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
“Protecting the waters of the Commonwealth is one of the top priorities of DEP and we will continue to hold polluters of those waters accountable,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a news release.
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