The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection held a virtual town hall Thursday night to update residents following the Sunoco pipeline petroleum leak in Upper Makefield Township. 

The officials from DEP and the Pennsylvania Department of Health spoke to residents in Washington Crossing whose wells were contaminated by a Sunoco petroleum pipeline leak. 

More than 100 people dialed in as concerns continue about more areas that may be affected. 

“We’re also seeing some contamination in other areas, and that’s where some additional investigation is going to have to be done,” a DEP spokesperson said. 

DEP staff said they learned of the leak along the 105-mile pipeline — which runs from Aston, Delaware County, to Newark, New Jersey — on Jan. 31 and that they have been working with Sunoco’s parent company to oversee all testing, remediation and cleanup. Residents could send in questions before the meeting.

“Why has the DEP not mandated the restoration of the environment to the original condition before the pipeline release?” read one question. 

Clem Smith lives in the contamination zone along Spencer Road. 

“What I want as a homeowner that’s lived in this house for 19 years is for my water to be exactly the same as it was prior to this spill,” Smith said. 

He remains frustrated with Sunoco’s response, along with a recent shift from in-person to online sessions. 

“As humans, we need the back and forth — I need to ask my questions, you need to give me the answer, I need to have a follow-up question,” Smith said. “Now I’m sitting here with more questions than answers.”  

The DEP says Sunoco is required to submit a full action plan for review along with progress reports every 90 days starting on June 12. Still, many worry this fight is far from over. 

“I just can’t help but think I don’t really believe it’s going to be OK, and I think a lot of other people are in that same boat,” Smith said.

Residents can send additional concerns to ra-epumpline@pa.gov.