Legislators Issue Call For Revocation Of Mariner East Pipeline Permits In Chester County

A group of seven Chester County House and Senate members have called for the immediate halt to Mariner East Pipeline construction and the revocation of Sunoco/Energy Transfer’s permits in Chester County.

The request went to Secretary Patrick McDonnell of the Department of Environmental Protection, Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine of the Department of Health, and Chairwoman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille of the Public Utility Commission

The August 13 letter was signed by Reps. Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester), Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Christina Sappey (D-Chester), Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester) and Dan Willaims (D-Chester) and Senators Muth (D-Chester), Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and Tim Kearney (D-Chester).

“Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean water, clean air and the preservation of our state’s vast natural resources, but time and time again, construction on the Mariner East pipeline has violated that right,” said Sen. Katie Muth. “This latest incident further proves that construction cannot be carried out safely. All state-issued permits for the Mariner East pipeline in Chester County must be revoked.”

“In just the past month, we’ve had more than a dozen serious events at Mariner East pipeline sites in Chester County, endangering our waters, ecosystems, and public health and safety,” said Rep. Danielle Friel Otten. “We’ve had sinkholes along Business Route 30 at one segment of the Mariner pipeline, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water pouring out of a hillside at another, pipeline construction debris and pollution in the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek at a third site, and now the spill of thousands of gallons of their proprietary drilling mud into wetlands, a tributary creek, and the lake at Marsh Creek State Park. More slap-on-the-wrist fines will not solve the problem. We need to end pay-to-pollute policies and pull Energy Transfer’s permits.”

The letter calls for--

-- An immediate halt to construction on the Mariner East project.

-- Independent testing of private wells in Upper Uwchlan Township, with costs covered completely by Energy Transfer for all residents who request it.

-- A requirement that Energy Transfer attend public meetings upon the request of any impacted municipality to hear directly from and respond directly to residents.

-- An independent investigation into environmental impacts of the spill at Marsh Creek State Park.

-- The immediate remediation of current violations to “as good or better condition.”

-- The payment of all outstanding fines and any new fines on these and previous permit violations.

-- For Energy Transfer to pay for baseline foundation inspections, private well inspections and private septic system inspections for any resident of any municipality within Mariner East construction who requests an inspection.

Click Here for a copy of the announcement.

NewsClip:
Op-Ed: Anti-Pipeline Group Threatens To Undermine Energy Progress In PA - Fmr  Sen. Earl Baker
Related Articles:

-- Mariner East Pipeline Drilling Stopped Indefinitely At Site Of Leak Into Marsh Creek State Park Lake, Chester County; Pipeline Company Will Be Held Accountable

-- Clean Air Council: Another Spill From Construction Of Sunoco's Mariner East II Pipeline In Chester County

Related Article This Week:

-- DEP Assesses $355,000 Penalty On Sunoco For 2018, 2019 Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction Violations

[Posted: August 22, 2020]  PA Environment Digest