The 14-inch pipeline was hit near East 4th Street, also known as River Road, and Coates Street close to Bridgeport. Upper Merion public safety officials dispatched fire and hazardous materials teams, and residents nearby were initially instructed to stay inside while responders worked with Sunoco and its parent company, Energy Transfer, to stop the leak. The shelter-in-place order was lifted later Thursday.

PECO said in a statement that the contractor was performing work for the company and that no PECO customers lost service. "PECO crews remain on-site and will continue to coordinate with Energy Transfer to provide operational support," the statement said.

The spill was confined to the Insurance Auto Auction property where the strike occurred and the neighboring Glasgow Quarry, Leis said. A spokesperson for the multi-agency Unified Command overseeing the response said there is no immediate danger to the public and the release "is not expected to pose a threat to public drinking water." The team includes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Energy Transfer.

Officials did not immediately say how much jet fuel escaped. Air monitoring has been set up around the site and its perimeter to protect workers and to detect any changes in air quality tied to the collected fuel, the spokesperson said.

Cleanup crews worked through the night to recover fuel, and responders planned to concentrate Friday morning on the quarry, where pumps were shut down as a precaution. The DEP declined further comment.

Energy Transfer did not immediately respond to questions about the spill or which of its pipelines was involved. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the federal regulator that oversees such lines, also did not immediately say whether it is investigating.

The incident comes as scrutiny of Energy Transfer's infrastructure has intensified. A leak from the company's Twin Oaks pipeline was discovered in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, in January 2025, spilling more than 6,000 gallons of jet fuel and contaminating private drinking water supplies. The federal pipeline safety agency recently ordered the company to inspect and, where needed, repair its pipelines after identifying a "system-wide risk" of leaks similar to the Upper Makefield release.

For residents of Upper Merion and neighboring Bridgeport, Thursday's strike is a reminder of how close heavy energy infrastructure runs to homes and businesses, and of the risks that come with utility work near aging pipelines. Officials said monitoring and cleanup will continue, with the quarry the focus of Friday's recovery effort.