Sunoco has resumed construction of the Mariner East 2 natural gas pipeline in western Lebanon County following a spill of “drilling mud” that entered a wetland area.
It’s the fourth unauthorized discharge of drilling mud in Lebanon County since Sunoco began construction in June, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection list.
Drilling mud is a mixture of water and bentonite clay that is non-toxic but has been blamed for clouding and reduced water flow in Chester County wells. It is used in horizontal directional drilling, a process that places the pipeline under roadways or environmentally sensitive areas where digging an open trench is not feasible.
More: DEP: Pipeline construction caused sediment to enter three Lebanon County streams
More: Could Mariner East 2 pipeline construction ruin area wells?
The most recent spill occurred on Dec. 20 north of Bachmanville Road and west of Schoolhouse Road in South Londonderry Township, according to DEP records. About 50 gallons were released into an upland area, then ran downslope into a wetland. The spill has been stopped and cleanup is in progress.
Lebanon Daily News – Daniel Walmer – 12.28.17
Posted by: Nelson Bailey
0 Comments