Royersford, Pa. − August 27, 2020 − Senator Katie Muth called for all drilling near the spill site at Marsh Creek Lake to be halted while the Department of Environmental Protection undergoes a comprehensive, independent investigation. 

Calls from residents in Upper Uwchlan township called into the senator’s office late Tuesday afternoon with reports of drill sounds off of Park Road.  Senator Muth later received confirmation from the DEP that Sunoco Pipeline, L.P. (Energy Transfer) had resumed horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at drill site HDD# S3-0300, located on the same easement as the August 10th inadvertent return (IR) incident at site HDD# S3-00290 that resulted in thousands of gallons of industrial waste spewing into Marsh Creek Lake, a 15 foot wide sink hole, and violations of the Clean Stream Law.  Sunoco has yet to submit an Interim IR report as required by the DEP, and results of investigation from other state entities have not yet been completed. 

The notice of violation issued on August 20th, 2020, can be found here.

“My constituents are understandably extremely concerned and very distressed regarding the long-term environmental impacts caused by this event,” wrote Senator Muth in a letter to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “As such, I strongly request that the Department hold a public meeting to discuss environmental damage, forthcoming mitigation efforts, and the necessary thresholds required for consideration of any possible restart of construction activities.”

Senator Muth has also requested that the following requirements be included in the ongoing DEP investigation into environmental harm:

  • A full and comprehensive report containing complete hydrological, ground water, and geophysical associated data in proximity to the HDD 0290 drill site, pipeline easement, sinkhole, and surrounding headwaters of the Marsh Creek Lake. 
  • An independent content analysis supervised by an impacted municipal entity or the Attorney General’s office of any and all drilling fluid utilized during HDD construction including, but not limited to, super sacks, super gel x, and bentonite. 
  • An independent content analysis of any and all grouting material utilized to stabilize the 15 foot wide and 8 foot deep wetland sinkhole which occurred following the most recent IR contamination event on August 10, 2020.

A copy of Senator Muth’s letter can be found here.

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