Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Pipeline talk leaves residents frustrated
Questions about safety, oversight have no clear answers
WEST GOSHEN» About 200 concerned residents seemingly left an East Goshen Township Mariner East 2 Pipeline information and Q& A Session frustrated.
The event was organized and led by Rep. Carolyn Comitta, D-156 and it was held at Fugett MIddle School.
Comitta said she has heard from many constituents of Westtown, East Goshen and West Goshen townships since Sunoco Mariner East 2 pipeline construction started more than a month ago.
Several times during the more than hour long question and answer period, the experts Comitta invited were stumped for answers. The representative said that the audience asked “good questions,” although the nine member panel was often unable to answer.
Tom Casey is a West Goshen community organizer and launched a lawsuit against pipeline builder Sunoco.
“Why didn’t they have the answers?” Casey asked. “For both sides, it was frustrating not getting the answers.”
“There is a lot of frustration when you can’t get the answers for important questions,” Comitta
said, after the meeting. “My job is to listen to the people I represent. If I can’t answer their questions I work very hard to get the answers.
The audience heartily booed when Comitta noted that Sunoco and the Public Utility Commission did not send representatives to Thursday’s meeting.
Still, many audience members left with timely information.
They learned that Comitta is hoping to establish a board of public pipeline safety and communication.
The PUC, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health, the
Pennsylvania Department of Management Agency, the governor’s office, legislative leaders and industry representatives would meet at least on a quarterly basis.
The board would filter information down to the local level in a more effective and timely manner, Comitta said.
“There is no one in charge of pipeline safety at the state level,” Comitta said. “Getting answers on the Mariner East 2 Pipeline has been very difficult. We need to get some additional people to the table. The issue is so complex and involves a lot of players.”
A resident of Hershey’s Mill where pipeline construction is underway is worried.
“I thought I was terrified before but now I’m more than terrified,” she said. “Where is there ever any oversight?”
Realtor Bobbie Surrick told the audience that impacted properties are selling.
“It’s very ugly right now and that will change,” she said. “It will all get back to almost normal. There are people to buy houses and the values aren’t affected.”
Surrick also told residents that if there is an easement listed on a property deed then the nearby existence of a pipeline is disclosed.
Comitta was asked why her fellow legislators weren’t taxing the Marcellus Shale product shipped 350 miles from Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.
“I support an extraction tax 100 percent,” Comitta said. “I ask that question every day.”
Rob Ghormuz, deputy chief of staff to Gov. Wolf, asked residents to talk to their federal representatives.
“No one in the state has any responsibility over where pipelines run,” he said. “It’s a federal law. We have very little authority.”
Comitta commented on Ghormuz’s comment.
“There is no question — there ought to be a law — there ought to be a lot of laws,” she said. “If I were queen I would do it but we’re
not going to do that tonight.”
Bill Turner, deputy director of Chester County Emergency Services, said that safety planning is underway at the county level.
He said it all starts with prevention, with preparedness a key, along with response and a recovery phases.
“Everything starts and ends on a local level,” Turner said about safety.
Comitta told residents to not give up the fight.
“A very important piece of this is you--the people standing up and asking questions should make a difference,” she said.
For more information, and updates on some local meetings, go to the county website at www.chesco.org/planning/pipelines.