Fracked Gas Pipeline Explosion Forces Evacuations in Pennsylvania

BEAVER COUNTY, PA -- An Energy Transfer Corp. gas pipeline exploded early Monday morning, destroying at least one house and forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents. Energy Transfer is also the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline and, through their acquisition of Sunoco, the oft-delayed Mariner East project.

In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Senior Campaign Representative Patrick Grenter released the following statement:

"Our thoughts are with the Center Township community and all of those affected by this disaster. This pipeline and any other that may be called into question relating to it must be immediately shut down until a thorough investigation has determined exactly what went wrong and families can safely return to their homes.”

Terrie Baumgardner of Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC) said:

“Today’s explosion is a wake-up call for the people of Beaver County. The DEP issued 101 technical deficiencies for the Shell ethane pipeline. DEP shut down the Mariner East pipeline for engineering issues and leaks and within the last two weeks it fined ETP, the owner of the gas line in today’s explosion, $150,000 for damaging a portion of Raccoon Creek in Center Township. People need to know that this is the same company that is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline and the company that was fined $430,000 in May of 2017 for ‘inadvertent’ damage to pristine wetlands in Ohio.  Pipelines are dangerous.”

Lisa Graves Marcucci, Pa. Coordinator Community Outreach, Environmental Integrity Project said:

The explosion in Center Township underscores why these highly-industrialized operations have no place near homes, schools, farms or within neighborhoods. The risks are very real and have not been properly vetted. It's time to carefully evaluate where these operations should be permitted and where they should not. More comprehensive health and welfare protections must be the priority.”

Matt Mehalik, Executive Director, Breathe Project, said:

“We are witnessing the results of insufficient review of risky pipeline construction projects.  What we know is that we have had high amounts of rain. As was the case in Marshall County, W.Va., this past summer, a landslide from heavy rains was the apparent cause of that rupture and explosion.  We also know that construction of pipelines throughout our own state has resulted in many problems, including contamination, especially from the Mariner East 2 pipeline. We know that the state DEP needs to proceed more carefully when reviewing permits for pipeline construction, because of the growing evidence that industry is not doing a thorough job when constructing pipelines.  The DEP must hold pipeline companies accountable to the highest standards for these risky projects and not allow them to be rammed through regulatory review.”

Erica Jackson, Community Outreach and Communications Specialist, FracTracker Alliance, said:

“The explosion in Center Township highlights the risks of the industry's expanding petrochemical development in the region, which depends on pipelines and facilities in highly populated residential neighborhoods. Natural gas pipelines carry extremely flammable contents, so when an incident occurs, explosions pose a huge threat to properties, infrastructure, and human and animal lives. Furthermore, vapors from pipelines can leak and travel unpredictably at high concentrations for long distances, before being ignited by cell phones, doorbells, or cigarettes. The proposed Falcon Pipeline, which will go through Washington, Beaver, and Allegheny Counties, has over 8,700 people living within its "vapor zone," in addition to 5 schools, 6 day cares, and 16 emergency response centers.”