Hundreds of West Goshen residents reported Monday night being startled by a loud, house shaking boom from the Mariner East pipeline. While Energy Transfer, the company building and operating Mariner East and Mariner East II, claimed it was little more than the sound of a car backfire:
“During routine maintenance at our Boot Station in West Goshen Twp., there was a backfire on a flare at approximately 8 pm as the station was brought back online. This resulted in a loud noise, similar to a car backfiring. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused” the company said in a statement issues on Twitter.
Residents in the area suggested a much more impactful event, some describing its feeling like an earthquake — and taking to social media to ask what happened or calling 911. Some residents reported a gas odor in the immediate area of Boot Road and US-202.
There are appear to be some reports of minor damage to homes in the area — pictures falling from walls and one report of damage to a concrete pool deck.
State Sen. Andy Dinniman, in a social media post Tuesday, said he was working to learn more about the event:
“I am working to find out more about this situation,” the post said. “Again, the lack of communication continues to raise my level of concern. We need straight answers from Sunoco/ET and the PUC. I will post an update as soon as I find out more.”
