Just this past Friday, at around 3 a.m., an 8-inch Sunoco Logistics pipeline was breached in northern Lycoming County, allowing a suspected 55,000 gallons of gasoline to enter Wallis Run, a tributary of Loyalsock Creek that flows into the river’s West Branch at Montoursville. Communities downstream from Williamsport that get their drinking water from the Susquehanna River were warned there could be gasoline in the stream. (By late Friday afternoon, there was still no confirmation that any of the gasoline had reached the river.)
The extent of the damage won’t be fully known until the water recedes.
As a precaution, the EPA had Shamokin Dam close its intake and Aqua PA was standing by ready to help with an emergency interconnect to serve the community if it was needed. PA American-Milton also prepared to close its intake from the river if necessary and asked customers to conserve water.
Emergency response personnel were dispatched to the scene when the Sunoco Logistics Control Center noticed a drop in pressure. They immediately shut down the pipeline and notified federal, state, county, and local officials.
Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields said:
“Skimmers are being used to remove gasoline from the top of the water and containment booms are being erected downstream as water conditions permit.
Although the cause of the break will not be determined until investigators can reach the pipeline, it is believed the heavy rain overnight that caused flash flooding and embankment erosion were factors.”
Because of the breach, there are other pipelines out of service as well: Sunoco’s Montello terminal in Sinking Spring and Buffalo, New York.
We will update you with more information as it becomes available.
Source: PennLive
