Pennsylvania
6 homes affected by Pennsylvania jet fuel pipeline leak, but residents worry it’s worse than reported
Residents of Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, expressed continued concerns and frustration over the ongoing jet fuel pipeline leak at a fifth public meeting Tuesday evening. Many attendees voiced unease about the spill’s impact on their water supply, and the transparency of the response efforts.
“I imagine the anguish every time you use your water,” one resident shared during public comment. “You’re feeding your family, giving water to your dogs, brushing your teeth, showering, every single use is now being questioned.”
Sunoco Energy Transfer representatives presented an update on their response efforts, noting that water testing had been completed at 317 homes. The company reported that six homes were affected by the spill, with 65 gallons of jet fuel recovered from local wells. However, many residents challenged these findings, alleging that the true impact of the spill has been underreported.
“We have neighbors who smell gas in the water, but all the tests come back undetected,” Andrea Moise, a township resident, said. “It’s clear we don’t have the right test.”
Other homeowners questioned the timeline of the leak, with some claiming it could have been ongoing for more than a year.
“At a minimum, this has been going on for 16 months, if not longer, because that’s when the first wells detected it,” Upper Makefield resident Dan Lahart said.
In response to the public’s concerns, the township board brought in a geologist and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency to assist with water contamination questions. However, Sunoco representatives refused to participate in a Q&A session, citing that attorneys would handle all communications with the community.
Despite the company’s efforts to update residents on their soil, air and water testing, as well as geophysical investigations, many remain dissatisfied with the lack of transparency. A final report on these investigations is still pending.
Next steps include the start of recovery well drilling, which is scheduled for next week. However, residents remain unsettled by what they perceive as insufficient action.
“We’re not going to go quiet, and we’re not going away,” a resident said.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has announced an investigation into potential environmental crimes related to the incident.
The next public meeting will be a tele-town hall on March 27.
Pennsylvania
Could a gas tax holiday be imposed in Pennsylvania as prices at the pump continue to rise?
PENNSYLVANIA (WJAC) — Discussion continues about potentially suspending the Pennsylvania gas tax, one of the highest state gas taxes in the country, as prices at the pump continue to jump.
Lawmakers in both chambers are considering a gas tax holiday that would remove Pennsylvania’s gas tax for a limited period. The Senate proposal would last 60 days, while the House version would run for six months. Supporters say the move would provide needed help for people across the state, while opponents argue it is not sustainable.
The proposals would save drivers about 57 cents per gallon on gasoline and about 75 cents per gallon on diesel from the state gas tax.
Representatives of the Democratic senator Lisa Boscola, who proposed the Senate bill and is from the Lehigh area, said they will continue pushing the measure they believe is needed by families around the state and are optimistic it will pass.
In the House, the effort is mostly being pushed by Republicans, though local Republican Rep. Jim Rigby said he does not support it because it is “not a real solution.”
Democratic Rep. Paul Takac agrees, saying state police and PennDOT road work are funded through the gas tax, and that suspending it would essentially defund both, and they would have to find money to fill those voids. Takac added that he has not heard any serious intention to move the bill forward.
Democratic Rep. Frank Burns said he believes that if the proposal came to a vote, a gas tax holiday would pass with bipartisan support and would provide at least a small break to struggling families.
The debate continues as gas prices continue rising, with another jump in the last week.
Chief economist Gbenga Ajilore of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says prices are unlikely to fall soon.
“It seems like gas prices are going to go up, and even if there’s some sort of resolution in say the next couple weeks, it’s going to be difficult to see prices go down anytime soon,” Ajilore said.
The Senate is back in session on Monday and for the next few days after that, but not again until June. If the gas tax holiday is going to move forward anytime soon, that is when it would likely happen.
In the House, the proposal would need to clear the Democratic-led Transportation Committee before it could go to a vote.
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2% for March, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced in its preliminary report Friday.
According to L&I, the rate in Pennsylvania was one-tenth of a percentage point below the country’s unemployment rate, which fell to 4.3% compared to February.
The civilian labor force, consisting of residents working or looking for work, increased by 6,000 to 6,593,000, and employment increased by 9,000 while unemployment decreased by 3,000 from February.
Nonfarm jobs also rose in March, to 6,189,600, while jobs in six industry supersectors increased. Trade, transportation, and utilities were up 5,100 during March.
For more information about L&I, visit its website here.
Pennsylvania
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