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Fuel Spill Cleanup and Recovery Update
Unified Command continues response operations at the pipeline strike site in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County.
Our top priorities remain protecting public health and safety and minimizing environmental impacts.
Over the weekend, crews recovered fuel from areas of concern at the site of the strike. Responders used vacuum trucks to transfer the recovered mixture of fuel and water to tanks for temporary storage. Crews transported the tanks off-site for additional processing and product reuse. Responders also used sorbent boom and absorbent pads to collect pooled product from paved areas, stormwater ponds, and other impacted areas on site. They collected and secured petroleum-contaminated debris and sorbent in roll-off containers for future testing and off-site disposal. Recovered materials are handled in accordance with state and federal safety and disposal requirements.
Crews are also conducting drone flights to track cleanup progress, assess Schuylkill River and quarry conditions, and support fuel recovery and cleanup operations in the quarry. Air readings from the quarry monitoring wells found no detection of VOCs.
At this time, there remains no impact to public drinking water sources or the Schuylkill River.
Air monitoring remains in place to protect responders and the nearby community. Unified Command evaluates air monitoring in three categories: community, fence line, and work zone. Community monitoring includes 20 roving monitoring locations in nearby neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Unified Command has also deployed 10 stationary fence line monitoring locations across the incident area to confirm that airborne contaminants are not leaving the response zone. In the work zone, including the quarry and other active cleanup areas, 4 monitoring locations help protect workers during operations. Responders wear required personal protective equipment in the work zone as an additional safety measure. The monitors measure flammable vapors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and benzene. To date, air monitoring has not detected any elevated levels in the community or at the fence line, and work zone readings have remained below levels of concern.
Due to changing weather conditions, community members may notice fuel odors.
Response operations will continue this week, focusing on ongoing air and waterway monitoring, as well as product recovery from the quarry and strike site. Removal of jet fuel from pooled water in the quarry is limited to daylight hours. Additional assessment work will help determine the extent of the impacted area.
Crews completed pipeline repairs, and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration approved refilling the pipeline. The pipeline has been brought back into service.
Background
On November 5, 2026, the Twin Oaks underground pipeline carrying jet fuel was struck by a crew conducting utility work near the intersection of Colbert Road and River Road in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Jet fuel discharged over land and into the adjacent Glasgow McCoy quarry.
A Unified Command has been established to direct response operations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and Energy Transfer are working together to oversee the incident.
Unified Command continues response operations at the pipeline strike site in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County.
Our top priorities remain protecting public health and safety and minimizing environmental impacts.
Over the weekend, crews recovered fuel from areas of concern at the site of the strike. Responders used vacuum trucks to transfer the recovered mixture of fuel and water to tanks for temporary storage. Crews transported the tanks off-site for additional processing and product reuse. Responders also used sorbent boom and absorbent pads to collect pooled product from paved areas, stormwater ponds, and other impacted areas on site. They collected and secured petroleum-contaminated debris and sorbent in roll-off containers for future testing and off-site disposal. Recovered materials are handled in accordance with state and federal safety and disposal requirements.
Crews are also conducting drone flights to track cleanup progress, assess Schuylkill River and quarry conditions, and support fuel recovery and cleanup operations in the quarry. Air readings from the quarry monitoring wells found no detection of VOCs.
At this time, there remains no impact to public drinking water sources or the Schuylkill River.
Air monitoring remains in place to protect responders and the nearby community. Unified Command evaluates air monitoring in three categories: community, fence line, and work zone. Community monitoring includes 20 roving monitoring locations in nearby neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Unified Command has also deployed 10 stationary fence line monitoring locations across the incident area to confirm that airborne contaminants are not leaving the response zone. In the work zone, including the quarry and other active cleanup areas, 4 monitoring locations help protect workers during operations. Responders wear required personal protective equipment in the work zone as an additional safety measure. The monitors measure flammable vapors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and benzene. To date, air monitoring has not detected any elevated levels in the community or at the fence line, and work zone readings have remained below levels of concern.
Due to changing weather conditions, community members may notice fuel odors.
Response operations will continue this week, focusing on ongoing air and waterway monitoring, as well as product recovery from the quarry and strike site. Removal of jet fuel from pooled water in the quarry is limited to daylight hours. Additional assessment work will help determine the extent of the impacted area.
Crews completed pipeline repairs, and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration approved refilling the pipeline. The pipeline has been brought back into service.
Background
On November 5, 2026, the Twin Oaks underground pipeline carrying jet fuel was struck by a crew conducting utility work near the intersection of Colbert Road and River Road in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Jet fuel discharged over land and into the adjacent Glasgow McCoy quarry.
A Unified Command has been established to direct response operations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and Energy Transfer are working together to oversee the incident.
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