Pennsylvania fines Energy Transfer $2 MM for 2018 natgas pipe blast

11/19/2021

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a nearly $2 MM settlement with a unit of Energy Transfer LP for a pipeline explosion and fire at its Revolution natural gas pipe in Western Pennsylvania in 2018.

A portion of the 24-in (61-cm) Revolution pipe failed after heavy rains caused a landslide in Center Township in Beaver County on Sept. 10, 2018. The fire destroyed a nearby home, damaged power lines and burned several acres of surrounding woodland, the PUC said in a release on Thursday.

The settlement includes a $1 MM civil penalty and about $975,000 in additional safety-related measures, including added pipeline start-up procedures.

The 40.5-mi(65-km) pipeline was being brought into service at the time of the incident, according to local media.

Energy Transfer has said the Revolution pipe returned to service in March.

Pipelines owned by Dallas-based Energy Transfer have had multiple problems in recent years in Pennsylvania.

The state stopped work several times and fined the company millions of dollars for spills and other problems related to construction of an expansion of its Mariner East system, which moves natural gas liquids from Western Pennsylvania to Eastern Pennsylvania.

In addition to the Revolution settlement, the PUC ordered Energy Transfer to take actions to improve the safety of its Mariner East system and provide the public with more information about ongoing Mariner East construction.

Energy Transfer said in a statement that it expected to put the final segment of Mariner East into service in the first quarter of 2022.

Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing by Nick Zieminski