Monday, June 29, 2015

Sunoco Logistics Partners, LP fined $95,000 over drilling fluid spills in Pennsylvania during the construction the Mariner East pipeline


JUNE 29, 2015

Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. has agreed to pay about $95,400 to settle a civil complaint arising from accidental drilling-fluid spills.

The spills occurred in Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties last year during boring operations associated with construction of the Mariner East pipeline, according to a consent decree with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

More than 1,000 gallons of fluid spilled in six separate instances, the Department said. The company also failed to implement proper erosion and sedimentation controls at certain project sites, .

Mariner East runs from Delmont, Westmoreland County, to the Marcus Hook facility near Philadelphia. Sunoco is lengthening the pipeline, from Delmont to Houston, Washington County. The pipeline carries propane and ethane east to the facility.

While issues Sunoco Logistics (NYSE: SXL) deals with the fallout connected to thee Mariner East pipeline, the Philadelphia-based owner and operator of oil terminals and pipelines recently said it is working to build a second pipeline in the second phase of its project, Mariner East II.

The company declined comment.