Pennsylvania pipeline violated laws, charges filed, AG announced

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Construction of a 45-mile pipeline in Pennsylvania violated Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, Attorney General Michelle Henry said.

Henry announced charges against Shell Flacon Pipeline LP on Friday, April 19, saying they failed to notify the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about multiple issues they encountered. The issue involved horizontal direction drills (HDD) used to construct some portions of the pipeline.

At times, the drill lost drilling mud, Henry said, which often contained pollutants that came to the surface in unintended locations. Construction of the pipeline, which spanned through Washington, Allegheny and Beaver Counties, began in January 2019.

Drilling mud is used to lubricate the HDD’s drill bit and to stabilize the hole. Sometimes, the mud can travel through fractures or voids in rock. It then has the potential to seep to the surface or travel through the fractures and impact groundwater — which happened during Sell construction, according to Henry.

“Pennsylvania’s environmental laws are in place to keep families and communities safe from harm caused by major construction projects, such as pipelines,” Henry said. “This company chose to ignore those laws and kept quiet issues that should have been disclosed to prevent potential impacts. Pennsylvanians have rights to clean air and water, and as we mark Earth Day this weekend, my office reaffirms its commitment to protecting those basic freedoms.”

In addition, Shell allegedly failed to install real-time data logging devices on its drilling equipment, in violation of its permit.

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On Friday, 13 misdemeanor charges were filed by the Office of the Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Section in Washington County.

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