Pair of Pipeline Breaches Vex OK, PA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2016
Two pipeline breaches in different areas of the United States within three days’ time have left environmental concerns and fueled debate over the safety and reliability of the pipeline system.
Pennsylvania Gasoline Breach
On Friday (Oct. 21), an 8-inch pipeline in Lycoming County, PA, broke and released about 55,000 gallons of gasoline into a creek, according to reports. Sunoco Logistics, which owns the pipeline, said in a release Tuesday (Oct. 25) that the breach was caused by an impact from a bridge that gave out during flooding on Wallis Run and Loyalsock Creek.
Heavy rains dropped several inches of rain on areas of Pennsylvania Thursday and Friday, leading to widespread flooding and storm damage. A bridge over Wallis Run, just north of its confluence with Loyalsock Creek, gave out during the flooding and traveled downstream into Loyalsock. The pipeline that ruptured was situated at least five feet beneath the surface of Loyalsock Creek, according to reports.
Gasoline from the pipeline, reportedly built in 1994, was released into Loyalsock Creek, which drains into the West Branch Susquehanna River at Montoursville.
‘The Bridge Was Responsible’
In a release issued to local media, Sunoco Logistics said that “an object of extreme destructive force” caused the rupture. “Given the position of the pipe and the location of the bridge before and after the event, it’s clear that the bridge was responsible for the damage to the pipe,” said David R. Chalson, Sunoco Logistics senior vice-president for operations, according to reports.
The Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly investigating the incident. According to local reports, no effect has been observed on drinking water in the area.
Sunoco Logistics reportedly plans to use horizontal drilling to replace a 500-foot stretch of the pipeline at a depth of about 25 feet, much deeper than the pipeline that was damaged.
Sunoco Track Record
According to Reuters, Sunoco Logistics has a poor track record in terms of spills; the news agency reports that, per an analysis of government data, the company has had more than 200 leaks in its pipelines since 2010, the greatest number among its competitors. Those numbers have led some critics to question the pipeline’s management.
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| Seaway Crude Pipeline Co. |
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The Seaway Pipeline, site of a breach in Cushing, OK, carries crude from the storage hub in Cushing to the Gulf Coast via Texas City, TX. |
Sunoco Logistics is one of four corporate partners in Energy Transfer, currently building the Dakota Access Pipeline in the Midwest, which got the go-ahead to move forward after legal challenges earlier this year, but has faced significant backlash from some environmental and Native American groups.
Oklahoma Crude Spill
Less than three days after the Pennsylvania spill, in Oklahoma, a crude pipeline near a storage hub in Cushing ruptured, releasing a yet unknown quantity of crude.
The breach in the Seaway Crude Pipeline System occurred late Sunday, according to reports, and its cause was not immediately clear. The Seaway Pipeline is owned by a joint venture, split equally between Enterprise Products and Canadian firm Enbridge.
The line in question is a 30-inch S-1, or legacy line, according to pipeline owners. The Seaway Pipeline carries crude from the storage hub in Cushing to the Gulf Coast via Texas City, TX.
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| By roy.luck, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr |
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The Seaway Pipeline is owned by a joint venture, split equally between Enterprise Products and Canadian firm Enbridge. (Pictured: Enbridge tank farm, Cushing, OK) |
Authorities have said the most that the affected stretch of pipeline could hold is 50,000 barrels of oil, but the release is thought to have been much less than that. An adjacent twin pipeline was restarted Monday, according to Reuters.
Reports say the spill was largely contained to a retaining pond owned by Enbridge. Cushing Emergency Management Director Bob Noltsenmeyer told KOCO-TV, “No threat to the environment or anything, they’re taking care of that and they’re cleaning up very well."
Enbridge, too, has associations with the hot-button Dakota Access Pipeline: The company announced in August that it plans to join with Marathon Oil in buying a minority stake in the pipeline. Enbridge is planning to merge with Spectra Energy in a $28 billion deal announced in September.
Tagged categories: Environmental Protection; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Health & Safety; Infrastructure; Oil and Gas; Pipeline
