Montco pipeline spill cleanup continues; officials say air monitors have not detected elevated levels of toxic pollution

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Cleanup of a pipeline spill in Montgomery County continues five days after a construction crew hit the line and caused an estimated 60,000 gallons of jet fuel to leak.

On Thursday, PECO contract workers struck Energy Transfer’s 14-inch line near the intersection of Colbert and River roads in Upper Merion Township. Jet fuel flowed onto the surface of the land and into the nearby Glasgow McCoy quarry, less than half a mile from the Schuylkill River.

“At this time, there remains no impact to public drinking water sources or the Schuylkill River,” according to a statement from a spokesperson for the Unified Command, which includes officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Energy Transfer.

Federal and state environmental officials say they deployed air monitors, which have “not detected any elevated levels [of volatile organic compounds] in the community or at the fenceline, and work zone readings have remained below levels of concern.”

Volatile organic compounds are emitted as vapors from liquid fuel sources and are especially dangerous to an individual’s health if trapped indoors. Elevated levels can cause headaches and irritation to eyes, nose and throat. The VOC benzene, an air pollutant present in petroleum products, is a known carcinogen.

The statement said no VOC’s of “concerning levels” were detected at the quarry or surrounding area. However, the statement warns that “due to changing weather conditions, community members may notice fuel odors.”

“Unified Command data confirms that air quality remains within safe limits. Our air monitors haven’t detected anything at concerning levels,” the statement reads. “Jet fuel has a distinct odor even at very low concentrations. While this odor threshold concentration is not at levels that can harm your health, we recognize that the odors can still affect residents’ quality of life.”