14 Senate, House Members Ask Gov. Wolf To Halt Mariner East Pipeline Operations Until Safety Protocols Are In Place
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On March 11, 3 Senate and 11 House members representing Chester and Delaware counties signed a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf asking him to impose a moratorium on the transmission of natural gas liquids products through the Mariner East pipeline system until the mandated safety protocols are in place for local responders to properly manage a pipeline emergency.

The letter was signed by Representatives Steve Barrar (R-Delaware), Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester), Kristine Howard (D-Chester), Tim Hennessey (R-Chester), John Lawrence (R-Chester), Chris Quinn (R-Delaware), Christina Sappey (D-Chester), Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester), Dan Williams (D_Chester) and Leanne Krueger (D-Delaware), and Senators Andy Dinniman (D-Chester), Katie Muth (D-Chester) and Tim Kearney (D-Delaware).

Chester County Emergency Services and local school districts along the pipeline, including Downingtown Area School District, Rose Tree Media School District and West Chester Area School District have requested Energy Transfer Partners' subsidiary SPLP to provide its Emergency Response Plan for the Mariner East Pipeline project.

Responders and school districts need to complete their comprehensive All Hazards Emergency Response Plans and fulfill their statutory requirements under Title 35 of state law.

The letter urges Gov. Wolf to preserve the health, welfare and safety of constituents who live, work and raise their families in the high-consequence areas of Chester and Delaware counties within the impact radius of Mariner East.

“We have pipelines currently transporting highly volatile products through our communities, and our local first responders are not able to adequately plan their emergency response or mitigate our risk because the operator has failed to cooperate with repeated requests for their Emergency Response Plan,” said Rep. Friel Otten. “Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco are risking a catastrophe, which is a criminal offense.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their collaboration on this request. The bipartisan support for this moratorium underscores how important it is to take every possible step to ensure the safety of our communities and our first responders.”

Click Here for a copy of the letter.

NewsClips:

Phillips: Attorney General, Delaware County DA Launch Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipelines

AP-Levy: Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Mariner East 2 Pipeline

Maykuth: Attorney General Launches Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipeline Project

Attorney General, Delaware County Have Joined Mariner East Pipeline Investigation

PA Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Mariner East Pipelines

Delaware County DA Launches Investigation Of Mariner East Pipeline

Op-Ed: First Trump, Then Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipeline Mess, No Wonder Republicans Are Scared

PA Landowners Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Case

Sen. Dinniman, Rep. Friel Otten Form Pipeline Safety Caucus

The $1 Billion Gas Pipeline Project Dividing New York

Related Stories:

Attorney General, Delaware County DA Conducting Joint Investigation Into Mariner East Pipelines

Senators Killion, Dinniman Introduce Resolution Forming Senate/House Commission To Make Recommendations To Improve Pipeline Safety, Construction Practices

DEP Proposes Water Quality Certification For Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project In Eastern PA

Proposed Water Quality Certification Published For Columbia Case East & West Pipeline Project, Armstrong, Butler, Clarion Counties

[Posted: March 12, 2019]


3/18/2019

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