Pipeline Problems And Permits

Three spills within one week at a Susquehanna County pipeline are generating headlines this morning. The Scranton Times-Tribune reports the first two accidents spilled 1,400 gallons of mud, though all but 35 gallons were recovered. Yesterday’s spill falls under the category of  an “inadvertent return,” according to industry officials, who say the mud has been cleaned up.
StateImpact’s Susan Phillips has done extensive reporting on pipeline construction across northeastern Pennsylvania, and the regulatory loopholes most gathering lines fall under.
The recurring problems along the 30-mile Susquehanna Gathering Line aren’t halting other projects. As the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader reports, a Luzerne County township conditionally approved plans for another 33-mile last night:

DALLAS TWP. – The township planning commission granted Williams Field Services LLC conditional land development and subdivision approval for its pipeline project Tuesday night, but officials said, the company still faces hurdles concerning zoning approval.
The planning commission gave unanimous approval to the project contingent on several factors.
…The company’s Springville Gathering Line is a 33 �-mile project running from Springville Township in Susquehanna County and ending in Dallas Township to tap into the Transco interstate pipeline. The tap site would be about 1,800 feet from the Dallas School District campus, which has been cause for controversy among concerned parents and residents.

 

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