Pennsylvania residents pack meeting after 6,500-gallon jet fuel leak taints well water

Upper Makefield Township residents in Pennsylvania used a crowded Bucks County meeting to vent about how a jet fuel pipeline leak has upended life for private well users. Much of the anger focused not only on the contamination itself, but on a cleanup that neighbors describe as prolonged, noisy, and uncertain.

Speakers said the fallout now includes both questions about drinking water safety and the disruption created by the response effort. Local officials have likewise faulted the pace of the work, saying residents still lack a permanent fix.

What happened?

The proposed remedy centers on a pilot of "multiphase extraction," or MPE, a method meant to remove fuel from groundwater and fractured bedrock. Sunoco LP and its parent company, Energy Transfer, presented that plan Wednesday night for the roughly 6,500-gallon jet fuel leak that reached groundwater in the Mt. Eyre neighborhood, WHYY News reported.

According to company representatives, the pilot could start before the end of the year, and a full-scale system would be added if the test works. Sunoco said it had recovered about 518 gallons of jet fuel by June 16, plus another 644 gallons through soil excavation beneath the pipeline.

A federal preliminary investigation found the spill had begun 16 months before it was officially detected, which aligns with reports of residents saying they smelled gasoline in their water starting in 2023. Since the leak was officially discovered on Jan. 31, 2025, the company said it has taken more than 1,800 water samples from 365 private wells and installed more than 200 Point-of-Entry Treatment filtration systems.

During the meeting, residents questioned the safety of the cleanup, complained about constant equipment noise, and worried about what lies ahead for their drinking water. Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors Chair Ben Weldon said the cleanup is "moving too slowly."

Why does it matter?

Private well users have had to rely on bottled water or filtration systems. Resident Kim Brunnquell summed up that anxiety bluntly, "The POET filter systems are a treatment, not a solution."

The disruption extends beyond drinking water. Residents said a round-the-clock cleanup operation could turn a quiet neighborhood into an industrial work zone.

Terry Dearden, a Mt. Eyre resident, told officials, "This is a major interruption into what was a bucolic, beautiful neighborhood."

Beyond pipeline leaks, coal and natural gas power plants contribute to air and water pollution linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, and premature death.

Those fuels can also keep household energy costs high compared with more abundant sources such as sunlight and wind, while industry lobbying often slows cleaner, cheaper energy transitions that would better protect families and lower bills.

What's being done?

Sunoco's remedial action plan is under review by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. As reported by WHYY, public comments will be accepted through Aug. 3, and DEP said Sunoco then has until Aug. 18 to answer those comments before the agency completes its review and issues a decision letter.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration concluded a faulty Type-A sleeve repair caused the leak. In May 2025, the federal agency ordered Sunoco LP to inspect and verify all Type-A sleeve repairs along the 105-mile pipeline. The line is still operating at 80% capacity, a point that has drawn criticism from local officials.

State lawmakers are also seeking tougher oversight for future spills. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero and state Rep. Perry Warren introduced legislation that would broaden DEP's authority to enforce cleanup deadlines.

Santarsiero said, "The fact that we're still here is because Pennsylvania law is inadequate."

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