Dec 9, 2013 1 min read

A transformer malfunction resulted in a flare early Friday at the MarkWest Energy Plant in Chartiers Township.

Robert McHale, a spokesman for MarkWest Energy Partners, confirmed the 4 a.m. incident. McHale said the transformer supplies electricity to the plant, and that when it malfunctioned, the system’s “automated safety control system directed natural gas liquids to the facility’s flare.”

McHale said an investigation is ongoing into the cause of the malfunction, and that “public safety and the environment were never at risk.”