Announcement Continues to Ignore Threats to Public Safety
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, January 3, 2018—Today, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that his administration’s Department of Environmental Protection would issue a temporary halt to construction of Sunoco’s Mariner East export pipeline. This proposed pipeline, if built, would transport industrial quantities of hazardous materials just feet from schools, senior living facilities and residential subdivisions across Pennsylvania. These materials are intended for export overseas for plastics production. Sunoco has reported 296 leaks from its pipelines since 2006, more than any other pipeline operator tracked by the federal government.
Today’s announcement follows widespread expressions of concern from communities and lawmakers along the proposed pipeline route. In October, community leaders and a bipartisan coalition of state senators and representatives visited Harrisburg to deliver thousands of postcards and a petition signed by over 6,000 Pennsylvanians to Gov. Wolf. The petition asked Gov. Wolf to halt Mariner East construction and immediately assess the risks it poses to the safety of vulnerable, dense populations.
Today’s announcement lists some of the egregious, apparently willful violations of state law and permit conditions committed by Sunoco. The pattern of noncompliance is clear. However, noted Middletown Coalition for Community Safety media spokesperson Eric Friedman, “The evidence is that these permits were issued contrary to the laws of Pennsylvania, with Gov. Wolf’s thumb on the scale from the beginning.”
From its inception, Mariner East presented a clear danger to Pennsylvania communities. In focusing on the egregious environmental damage done by Sunoco across Pennsylvania, Gov. Wolf continues to choose to disregard the public safety risks that are also inherent in the project.
While Del-Chesco United welcomes today’s announcement as a sound first step. Ginny Marcille-Kerslake a community leader from West Whiteland Residents for Pipeline Safety observed that “Our communities, including our school children and seniors, are not satisfied with Gov. Wolf’s attempt to change the subject to a newfound interest in enforcement by his Department of Environmental Protection. Gov. Wolf has vital safety responsibilities under state law. The public safety buck stops with him.”
Caroline Hughes, a representative from Goshen United for Public Safety, added “Today’s announcement is a small step in the right direction, but the responsible course of action for Governor Wolf is to stop Mariner East construction until and unless a public safety risk assessment is available. Del-Chesco United intends to use this temporary halt to continue to call for the Mariner East risk assessment which Gov. Wolf should have undertaken from the beginning.”
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Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety is a nonpartisan, fact-based, grassroots coalition of locally-based safety groups, made up of concerned Pennsylvanians from across our Commonwealth. Our mission is to unite people through education and to encourage our elected officials to make informed policy decisions for the safety and well-being of our communities.
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