Middletown Coalition
for Community Safety
February 2018
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MCCS in the News
Uwchlan residents rally against Sunoco pipeline project
Daily Local Times, February 18, 2018
More than 200 activists held signs high and chanted in unison on Sunday afternoon to support the township’s board of supervisors in a fight to halt construction of the Sunoco Mariner East 2 pipeline at the intersection Crump and Whitford roads...
“As shown by the crowd gathered here today, Sunoco’s appalling safety record — 296 pipeline leaks since 2006 alone — continues to cause concern across Chester and Delaware Counties. And Sunoco received three new federal enforcement actions in Jan. 2018 for probable violations of safety regulations. Gov. Wolf has disregarded the requests of his constituents and bipartisan members of the General Assembly for a risk assessment of this property value-killing project. This election year, perhaps Gov. Wolf should do his own assessment of the risk to his chances of re-election.”-Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco, @SenatorDinniman,@GovernorTomWolf, @UwchlanSafetyCo, #MCCS
The Heron’s Nest: A win for pipeline foes
Delco Times, February 15, 2018
Sunoco insists the pipeline is being constructed - and will be operated - to the highest standards in the industry...
The state Department of Environmental Protection shut down all construction on the project for more than a month after finding persistent, “egregious” problems during construction, as well as one incident where the company was found to be using a controversial technique known as Horizontal Directional Drilling in an area where it was not permitted to do so...
Last week it was announced Sunoco Pipeline would pay a $12 million fine; in return the state lifted the ban on construction. Opponents clearly are not satisfied...
Make no mistake, those who oppose it are not going to go away. Having said that, I think the risk assessment study is a good thing...And the process used by Delaware County Council to approve it is even better...Two-party rule. What a concept...
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco, #MCCS, @GovernorTomWolf
‘It bought so scorching, so fast.‘ Mariner East foes say a 2015 pipeline blast factors to dangers
Luxora Leader, February 10, 2018
Follansbee Fire Chief Larry Rea shot video of the ATEX Pipeline explosion in 2015. “I’ve never been involved with anything of that magnitude before,” said Larry Rea, 60, the fire chief in Follansbee, which is about four miles from the Pennsylvania border in West Virginia’s northern panhandle. “It sounded like a damn jet engine, and the flame was huge.
“We just want a scientific, impartial, independent assessment of the risk.” -Eric Friedman, a Thornbury resident and spokesman for the Middletown Coalition for Community Safety in Delaware County.
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco, #MCCS, @GovernorTomWolf,
Despite record fine, ETP should not be allowed to resume construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline
StopEPT, February 9, 2018
The DEP issued the permits a year ago in spite of the fact that unresolved deficiencies remained in the company’s application...
“For the past year, residents of Pennsylvania have had to step in to monitor and report Sunoco’s unlawful and illegal activities, resulting in many of the 34 Notices of Violations that led to the recent halt. We have asked Governor Wolf to keep construction halted in order to procure an independent unbiased assessment of the risk to public safety. The Governor has failed to keep the project halted, and has failed to address the potential risks this project poses. He has left residents with little recourse than to employ additional strategies to protect our families and our communities.” - George Alexander of the Middletown Coalition for Community Safety.
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco, #MCCS, @GovernorTomWolf,
Sunoco appeals DEP suspension; donations pour in for risk assessment
Daily Local News, February 6, 2018
State Sen. Andy Dinniman said Tuesday that residents’ plans to obtain an independent risk assessment of Sunoco Pipeline’s Mariner East 2 pipeline are moving forward...
Those interested in donating can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/citizens039-risk-assessment-of-me2.
Future meetings are currently being planned. Those interested in participating should contact Don Vymazal of Sen. Dinniman’s office at dvymazal@pasenate.com or 610-692-2112.
“I’m confident that we’ll reach our goal and succeed where government agencies are falling short in meeting their constitutional duty to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens,” he said. “We’ve built a very well-organized and well-informed coalition of committed individuals who are dedicated to seeing this through for the sake of their communities, families, and children.” -State Sen. Andy Dinniman
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco, #MCCS, @GovernorTomWolf,
ME2 in the News
Enviro groups sue again to block Sunoco's Mariner East 2 pipeline
Philadelphia Inquirer, February 28, 2018
Clean Air Council, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and Mountain Watershed Association filed an appeal with the Environmental Hearing Board of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Feb. 8 consent order. They also filed a separate breach of contract complaint in the Commonwealth Court, including a request for an injunction, for an alleged violation of an August settlement that the groups reached with Sunoco and state regulators...
#CleanAirCouncil , #DelawareRiverkeeperNetwork, #Mountain Watershed Association
Environmental groups seek injunction to halt Mariner East 2 pipeline construction
State Impact, February 28, 2018
The latest legal challenge to the controversial natural gas liquids pipeline, which has faced opposition from landowners challenging eminent domain, and residents frustrated by dozens of environmental violations...
#CleanAirCouncil , #DelawareRiverkeeperNetwork, #Mountain Watershed Association
Sound Off for Tuesday, Feb. 27
Delco Times, February 27, 2018
Regarding the Mariner East 2 pipeline, maybe Sunoco should sue the homeowners and townships who built too close to the right of way...
#govwolf, #marinereast2, #noME2, #sunoco,
Trusting News: Quick turnaround, or dig deeper?
wtif, February 18, 2018
State level texts leave unanswered questions in the Sunoco permit process...
Delco Times, February 17, 2018
LAUREL: To the supervisors out in Uwchlan Township in Chester County. They are doing something a lot of residents in both counties have been begging for – but seeing little in the way of results. The township this week indicated they will enforce their local zoning to prevent the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project...
Chester County township adds to local challenges on Mariner East 2 siting
State Impact, February 17, 2018
Chester County’s Uwchlan Township supervisors voted unanimously to enforce an ordinance that requires any hazardous liquids pipeline to be set back from buildings further than the distance currently under construction.
Pittsburg Post-Gazette, February 16, 2018
“(The) public has the desire and capacity to use data to find answers to questions that concern them and they should be allowed to do so.” - Kirk Jalbert
Delco council to seek bids for pipeline risk-assessment study
Delco Times, February 15, 2018
Delaware County Council voted Wednesday to move forward with a hazard assessment of the Mariner East 2 pipeline.
“Safety is very important to me as a council member and economic development and economic impact is very important to me and I think that they both need to co-exist in our community and to be able to both thrive in our community. I think this recommendation is a balance of all of those things.” - Colleen Morrone, Delaware County Council, Republican Council Vice Chairman
Another win for pipeline foes - & 2-party rule
Delco Heron's Nest, February 15, 2018
Rack another victory for the foes of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project.
And, in a way, a huge step for two-party rule here in Delaware County.
Delaware County Council voted 3-1 to seek bids for a risk assessment study.
Resumption Of Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction Met With Community Backlash
CBS News, February 13, 2018
Uwchlan Township’s Board of Supervisors say they have unanimously voted to enforce a zoning ordinance that will stop pipeline construction.
“The ordinance that is being enforced says no pipeline can be constructed in such a way that homes are in its blast radius...We know that the Mariner East 2 pipeline is one of the most dangerous pipeline proposals that Chester County and Pennsylvania has ever seen.”-Sam Bernhardt of Food Water Watch
Chesco township vows to use zoning laws to block pipeline work
Daily Local News, February 13, 2018
A Chester County township is looking to use its zoning laws to block construction in the township.
The current route of the pipeline violates the township’s 2014 zoning ordinance, which forbids pipeline construction in high-density areas and near occupied structures such as houses and schools...
Uwchlan vows to use zoning laws to block pipeline work
Daily Local News, February 13, 2018
The township board of supervisors voted unanimously Monday to enforce a township zoning ordinance that forbids Sunoco Pipeline from constructing the Mariner East 2 pipeline in the township.
Cumberland County couple claims Mariner East 2 Pipeline construction is contaminating their water
Fox 43 News, February 11, 2018
"It`s just terrible stuff and you can`t imagine what it`s like until you actually try it,"- Rolph Blume of Frankford Township.
Now their worst fears have come true...
'It got so hot, so quick.' Mariner East foes say a 2015 pipeline blast points to risks
Philadelphia Inquirer, February 9, 2018
There was no smell, no sound, and no warning before the pipeline exploded on the far side of Ed Dillon’s pasture, causing him, his family, and four grazing horses to instinctively conduct what the government euphemistically calls a “self-evacuation” — they ran for their lives...
“It got so hot, so quick,” said Dillon, 67, recalling that winter morning three years ago. Though the 20-inch diameter high-pressure pipeline rupture was located more than two football fields away, the heat was so intense it cracked the windows on his house and warped the vinyl siding...
Mariner East 2 critics don’t trust DEP, Sunoco agreement to improve company’s record
ABC News, February 8, 2018
Pennsylvania regulators are fining Sunoco more than $12 million for problems with a massive natural gas pipeline project, but letting work resume under a consent agreement...
The 350-mile project has been plagued by spills and leaks of drilling fluid and improper construction methods...
In stopping the work, the state agency said Sunoco demonstrated it couldn't or wouldn't comply with Pennsylvania's clean streams law and other regulations...
Mariner East 2 critics don’t trust DEP, Sunoco agreement to improve company’s record
State Impact, February 8, 2018
“I am not satisfied that DEP and Sunoco’s agreement will be robust enough to prevent the same types of egregious environmental harm from occurring during future construction.”
-Joseph Otis Minott, executive director of Clean Air Council
Rich Raiders, an attorney who has represented landowners in eminent domain fights with Sunoco, said the DEP’s action does nothing to ensure that Sunoco’s long series of environmental violations won’t be repeated...
Delco pipeline risk study committee reconfigures, tries to move ahead
Daily Times News, February 7, 2018
Zidek and Madden want a completely independent scientific study performed by an individual or firm with no ties to Sunoco and they want it to include the probabilities of disaster and harm to county residents...
I think it’s really important that we have a process ... where everybody feels like they’ve had a seat at the table.” - Stephen Sarazin of Prospect Park
If this pipeline were an airplane, it wouldn’t be allowed off the ground
Dragonpipe Diary, February 6, 2018
The FAA doesn’t want us to die; but PHMSA doesn’t mind, as long as we die in limited numbers...
Delco Dems call for risk assessment study on Mariner East 2
Delco Times, February 3, 2018
The Delaware County Democratic Committee issued a statement urging Delaware County Council to conduct an independent risk assessment study of the Mariner East 2 project.:
“Residents across Southeastern Pennsylvania are rightly concerned about the potential harmful impacts of this pipeline project after dozens of spills across 10 counties and violations that compelled the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to suspend all associated construction on Jan. 3."